Following a series of public committee and Board meetings, SCV Water adopted its biennial budget for fiscal years 2025/26 and 2026/27 in June.

This budget supports SCV Water’s mission to provide responsible water stewardship to ensure the Santa Clarita Valley has reliable supplies of high-quality water at a reasonable cost.

The budget aligns with the Agency’s strategic plan and reflects planned work to address current and future challenges.

“Over the next two fiscal years, SCV Water will strengthen its regional watershed management efforts, address groundwater contamination, and manage new and ongoing state mandates,” said Board President Maria Gutzeit. “This budget will allow the Agency to support those efforts while ensuring a reliable water supply portfolio.”

Key initiatives and activities under this budget include:

Additional PFAS Treatment Facilities.

As part of an ongoing, multi-year initiative, SCV Water will invest more than $63 million in this budget cycle in water treatment facilities dedicated to the removal of PFAS and restoration of local groundwater supplies.

PFAS is a group of man-made chemicals that have been found in trace amounts in the Santa Clarita Valley’s water supply.

Water Resiliency Initiative.

SCV Water will invest nearly $17 million in projects that will enable the Agency to respond to more extreme droughts, floods, rising temperatures and changing regulatory requirements. The goal is to fortify the water supply for customers.

 Conservation.

By State mandate (AB 1668 and SB 606), SCV Water will invest more than $4.7 million across both budget years to update the Water Use Efficiency Strategic Plan, implement conservation programs and complete supplemental research and evaluation.

To prepare for future drought conditions, the Water Shortage Contingency Plan will be updated in FY 2025/26.

Technology Initiative.

To ensure the efficient delivery of water to customers, SCV Water will invest more than $13.5 million in cutting-edge technology. These advanced solutions include Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) projects, data analytics and cybersecurity investments.

SCV Water remains dedicated to financial stability. The adopted FY 2025/26 and FY 2026/27 Budget is balanced, includes the revenues and resources to maintain existing levels of service, and aligns with the Agency’s five-year water rate plan for FY 2025/26 through FY 2029/30.

Budget Highlights

Budget highlights include the following approximate totals:

“Our budget serves as a comprehensive roadmap that clearly communicates our priorities, operational plans, and commitment to serving the community,” said Rochelle Patterson, chief financial and administrative officer. “This collaborative effort, led by the Finance team and supported by every department, reflects our shared commitment to transparency, strategic priorities, and responsible service to the community.”

The approved biennial FY 2025/26 and FY 2026/27 Budget is posted on the SCV Water website as part of the June 3, 2025, SCV Water Board of Directors Special Meeting packet, Item No. 6.1. Once formatting is complete, the final budget publication will be available online for public viewing. It will be posted in the Financial Information section on their website.

Ed. Note: The above information was provided by SCV Water.

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