Fiscal Year 2024 Accomplishments
July 2023 - June 2024
New Leadership to Enhance Our Services
Robert Grantham was appointed as General Manager in June 2024
I am honored to join the Santa Margarita Water District as your new General Manager and to present our Fiscal Year 2024 Accomplishment Report. This report highlights our recent achievements and outlines the exciting path forward under new leadership. Over the past year, we have made significant strides in enhancing our water infrastructure, improving customer service, and advancing our sustainability initiatives. Our team’s dedication to providing high-quality water services to our community has been unwavering, and I am proud of our team. As we look to the future, we are committed to leveraging new technologies, fostering community engagement, and ensuring the long-term resiliency of our water supply. Additionally, we will sharpen our focus on securing grant funding for capital projects to support our infrastructure development and sustainability goals. Thank you for your continued support and trust in the Santa Margarita Water District.
Warm regards, Robert Grantham
Strategic Goals by 2030
- 30% Local Water Supply
- 6 Months of Drinking Water Storage
- Recycle 100% of Wastewater
Top Priorities
Water Quality is Job #1
9.4 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water were delivered, and 30,000 water quality tests were conducted last year.
Protecting Public Health
Collecting and treating wastewater is essential for protecting public health, safeguarding the environment, and ensuring the sustainable use of water resources.
Serving Our Community
Our mission is to deliver exceptional and timely customer care around the clock.
Reliable Service
Ensuring our 1,745 miles of pipes and 237 facilities flow around the clock requires a strategic plan. SMWD invested $32.3 million in infrastructure maintenance last year.
Local Water with Local Control
70% of our water is imported from distant sources hundreds of miles away. SMWD invested $8.4 million in local water supply projects last fiscal year to reduce this dependency.
Service Area
Delivering Excellence Since 1964
Proudly serving over 200,000 residents in the cities of Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, and San Juan Capistrano, and the communities of Coto de Caza, Las Flores, Ladera Ranch, the Rancho Mission Viejo Villages of Sendero, Esencia, and Rienda, and Talega in San Clemente.
700 new customers were added to our service area in Fiscal Year 2024.
Interactive SMWD Service Area Map
Local Water Resiliency Projects
Diversifying Our Water Portfolio
Nearly all our drinking water is imported from hundreds of miles away. SMWD is committed to reducing its dependence on imported water by investing in a local, reliable, and sustainable water supply for today and future generations.
Trampas Reservoir is 90% Full
Trampas Reservoir is 90% Full. Click to expand.
California’s largest recycled water reservoir, Trampas Canyon, has reached an unprecedented 90% capacity. The reservoir boasts a storage capacity of 1.6 billion gallons, extends 3,000 feet wide, and has depths of 80 feet.
Repaired Reservoir at SJC Groundwater Plant
Repaired Reservoir at SJC Groundwater Plant. Click to expand.
Zoom in to see the new and improved repaired reservoir! The default view shows the inside of the reservoir after the roof collapsed. The San Juan Capistrano Groundwater Plant is the solo source of local water for SMWD customers.
Las Flores Recycled Water Expansion
Las Flores Recycled Water Expansion. Click to expand.
The District has installed 2.5 miles of pipelines beneath the roads of Las Flores to expand the use of recycled water, which will save 68 million gallons of drinking water annually.
Major Treatment Plant Improvement Underway
Major Treatment Plant Improvement Underway. Click to expand.
The Oso Creek Water Reclamation Plant, built in 1975, is undergoing a significant upgrade to enhance water quality and expand recycled water production. Scheduled for completion in 2025, the upgraded plant will increase capacity by 83% while reducing its footprint by 20%.
Fiscal Stewardship
The FY 2024 operating budget highlights the District’s capability to effectively utilize capital resources for infrastructure maintenance, repair, and water supply reliability. SMWD is dedicated to prudent financial management and skillful grant acquisition to fund district projects. This approach allows us to provide exceptional services and upgrade aging infrastructure while minimizing the financial burden on our customers.
Innovative Cost Savings
The Chiquita Water Reclamation Plant can treat 6 million gallons of wastewater per day and operates around the clock to keep up with community flows. This critical infrastructure must always maintain power, and it happens to be one of the district’s most costly facilities to operate.
Infrastructure Improvements
Since becoming San Juan Capistrano’s water provider in November 2021, SMWD has been investing in the aging system to upgrade it to our standards.
Critical Infrastructure Repairs
$3.3 million in wastewater system repairs
$2.7 million in drinking water system upgrades
Collapsed Roof Repair at Groundwater Plant
We swifty constructed a new 320,000 gallon reservoir in just six months after the clearwell roof beams at the Groundwater Recovery Plant collapsed, Since this plant is the District’s sole source of local drinking water, restoring it quickly was crucial for SMWD customers.
Cost: $2.6 million
Increased Local Drinking Water Supply
The District restored five groundwater wells in San Juan Capistrano and increased local drinking water production by 20%.
Cost: $800,000
Engaging With Our Community
The cornerstone of our efforts is educating our customers about our services and helping them use water efficiently. Through community engagement, partnerships, and outreach, our customers have reduced water use by 39%. The demand for drinking water is the same today as it was 25 years ago, despite serving 67,000 additional customers. Fiscal year 2024 was a vibrant year at SMWD and around the community.
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Award-Winning Efforts
These honors highlight our commitment to innovation, sustainability, excellence, and our role as a trusted water service provider.
COLLECTION SYSTEM OF THE YEAR
California Water Environment Association
COLLECTION PERSON OF THE YEAR
MILES REX
California Water Environment Association
COLLECTION PERSON OF THE YEAR
CESAR CORRAL
California Water Environment Association
GFOA CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Excellence in Financial Reporting
Value of Water Video Campaign
Journey of Water: From River to Tap
Contact Us:
(949) 459-6420
CustomerCare@smwd.com
26111 Antonio Pkwy, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
