IMPORTANT INFORMATION RELATED TO THE REOPENING OF THE VENTURA COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER (07/20/2020)
All applications and re-submittals will be made online via vcca.ventura.org or emailing the documents to PWA_LDServices@ventura.org. Please contact our division about procedures at PWA_LDServices@ventura.org or call (805) 654-3027.

Water Availability Letter and Water Will Serve Letters

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved a revision to the Ventura County Waterworks Manual (VCWWM) (2nd Edition) on September 14, 2014. The manual includes standards that apply to any facilities or system in the County that meets any one or more of the following conditions:

a. Is currently in or plans to be located within the County or County-dependent special district owned or controlled rights-of-way.

b. Serves, or plans to serve, water to any land development project which is subject to any approval issued by the County or a County-dependent special district.

c. Provides fire protection service in the Ventura County Fire Protection District (FPD).

Receipt and acceptance of the WAL by the County is a prerequisite to a purveyor issuing additional “will serve” letters. This requirement was implemented because experience has shown that, incrementally, “will serve” letters for additional services have been issued by some purveyors to add connections to existing water systems without taking into account the cumulative effect of all previous additions.

Excerpt from VWWM §1.3.6

A letter from a Water Purveyor declaring that the purveyor’s water system has the necessary water capacity available to supply the domestic and firefighting requirements for the project or service area identified in the letter. The Water Availability Letter must be signed by a member of the purveyor’s Board of Directors or General Manager and contain the following:

  1. A map of the project or service area served by the water system showing parcels served along with their Assessor Parcel Numbers (APNs).
  2. A description of the existing (or planned) system and all planned changes to the existing system that will be made to provide service to the project or service area identified in the letter.
  3. A completed Waterworks Manual Compliance Worksheet (Appendix D) for the system and each pressure zone in the system.
  4. The maximum day average demand (Q0), required domestic storage volume (V0) and number of service connections (N) may be calculated by using either the methods described in this manual or commonly accepted engineering practices.
  5. A summary of all areas not in compliance with this manual and the plan for bringing the water system into compliance with this manual.
  6. The engineering analysis prepared and stamped by a civil engineer which was used to prepare the Waterworks Manual Compliance Worksheet(s) and includes the following:
  7. Method and calculations for determining maximum day average demand (Q0) and required domestic storage volume (V0), for both existing and maximum number of service connections (N).
  8. Method and calculations for determining compliance with the peak hour demand requirements of this manual.
  9. Method and calculations for determining compliance with the system reliability requirements of this manual.
  10. Method and calculations for determining compliance with the emergency requirements in this manual.

In the case of Water Purveyors classified as Urban Water Suppliers under the Urban Water Management Planning Act, the adoption of a current Urban Water Management Plan that has been accepted by the State Department of Water Resources will satisfy the requirement for submission to and acceptance by the County of a Water Availability Letter (WAL).

More information on methods and procedures that can be used to prepare a WAL can be found in the Ventura County Waterworks Manual (VCWWM) 2nd Edition .The VCWWM establishes the minimum acceptable standards for the design and construction of additions or changes to existing water supply facilities in the unincorporated areas of Ventura County of Ventura and for the purpose of County or County-dependent special district approvals.

The Waterworks Manual Compliance Check sheet can be downloaded here.

In September 2014, notice was given to Ventura County Water Purveyors of the Water Availability Letter requirement and they have been given the opportunity to submit a WAL. A list of currently approved WALs or UWMP can be found on our Will Serve Letter Page. To obtain a copy of this notice please click here.

For list of Water Purveyors in Ventura County, Click here.

Water Purveyor Search: Here

List of Water Purveyors

A current list (as of 09/08/2015) of UWMP Approved Water Purveyors is listed below.

Approved Urban Water Supplier Primary County Served
Antelope Valley – East Kern Water Agency Kern
California Water Service Company Westlake Ventura
California‐American Water Ventura District Ventura
Calleguas Municipal Water District Ventura
Camarillo, City of Ventura
Camrosa Water District Ventura
Casitas Municipal Water District Ventura
Castaic Lake Water Agency – Santa Clarita Water Division Los Angeles
Fillmore, City of Ventura
Golden State Water Company Ojai Ventura
Golden State Water Company Simi Valley Ventura
Oxnard,City of Ventura
Port Hueneme, City of Ventura
Port Hueneme Water Agency Ventura
San Buenaventura, City of Ventura
Santa Paula, City of Ventura
Thousand Oaks, City of Ventura
Triunfo Sanitation District / Oak Park Water Service Ventura
United Water Conservation District Ventura
Ventura County Waterworks District No. 1 – Moorpark Ventura
Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8 – Simi Valley Ventura

 

 

Water Purveyors with Water Availability Letters accepted by Ventura County Public Works Agency:

(Current as of December 30, 2020)

 

Water Suppliers with Accepted WALs  Prepared By:
Beedy Street Well Water System* Water Resource Engineering Associates
Crestview Mutual Water Company Water Resource Engineering Associates
Channel Island Beach Community Service District AECOM
Cloverdale Mutual Water Company* Dreaming Tree Civil
Fuller Falls Mutual Water Company Water Resource Engineering Associates
Garden Acres Mutual Water Company Water Resource Engineering Associates
Meiners Oaks Water District Water Resource Engineering Associates
Mutual Water Company of Vineyard Avenue Estates Water Resource Engineering Associates
Pleasant Valley Mutual Water Company Kennedy Jenks Consultants
Rincon Water and Road Works Water Resource Engineering Associates
San Cayetano Mutual Water Company YCE Incorporated
Santa Clara Resources Water System Water Resource Engineering Associates
Saticoy Country Club Water Resource Engineering Associates
Sisar Mutual Water Company Water Resource Engineering Associates
Senior Canyon Mutual Water Company Water Resource Engineering Associates
Solano Verde Mutual Water Company Water Resource Engineering Associates
Strickland Mutual Water Company* Water Resource Engineering Associates
Tobock Ranch Water District Water Resource Engineering Associates
Ventura County Waterworks District No.17 – Bell Canyon Ventura County Waterworks Districts
Ventura County Waterworks District No. 19 – Somis Ventura County Waterworks Districts
Ventura County Water Works District No. 38 – Lake Sherwood Ventura County Waterworks Districts
Ventura River Water District Ventura River Water District
Vineyard Mutual Water Company Water Resource Engineering Associates
Yerba Buena Water Company Water Resource Engineering Associates
Warring Water Service* Jensen Design & Survey

* WAL accepted with conditions, contact PWA Development & Inspection Services for Conditions of Acceptance. Will Serve Letters are not currently being accepted by these purveyors.

A Will-Serve Letter is an agreement/assurance between a Ventura County resident and the water purveyor to provide water service. A WSL approved by the Public Works Agency is required for a property owner to obtain a Building Permit from the Resource Management Agency.

WSLs will not be accepted by the Public Works Agency unless one of the following items are met:

  • There is an accepted Water Availability Letter on file with the County of Ventura Public Works Agency Development & Inspection Services Division; or
  • The Water Supplier has an approved Urban Water Management Plan(UWMP) with the State of California. A list of approved UWMP Water Suppliers can be found below.

If you meet either of the two requirements above then a WSL may be submitted to the PWA Development and Inspection Services counter for review. A review will include a verification of available connections and the water purveyors ability to provide service.

All will serve letters submitted shall include, at a minimum, the following information:

  • Project size
  • Description of Project, indicating if the project is existing or a new connection.
  • An accounting of Will-Serve Letters issued compared to number of unused services remaining.
  • New development or existing development
  • APN
  • Type of Development
  • Date
  • Letterhead from Retail Water Purveyor ( or Wholesale Water District if applicable)
  • Signature from a representative of the purveyor having authority
  • Address
  • Allocations used and remaining
  • Zone (if applicable)