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Where Does Pasadena Water Come From
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History
History of Water in Pasadena, Part 1
This article highlights the stories of Pasadenans who devoted themselves to building the reliable water supply that makes our existence here possible.
History of Water in Pasadena, Part 2
This article continues the stories of Pasadenans who devoted themselves to building the reliable water supply that makes our existence here possible.
Companies jostled for water rights as Pasadena grew in the 1880s
At the south side of the basin, underground water trapped by the Raymond Hill dike allowed many producing water wells to be drilled above it. Rights to water from the Sheep Corral springs in the Arroyo Seco were not in contention because the rights went back to the owner of the San Pasqual rancho in 1858. The rights belonged to the San Gabriel Orange Grove Association, known as the west-side company.
Information
San Gabriel Basin
One of the largest underground water reservoirs in the state, but it's also one of the most contaminated. There are billions of gallons of water that became polluted over decades. A lot of it left over from the defense industry, things like rocket fuel, industrial solvent and de-greasers. Cleaning it will take $1.2 billion, and about $650 million has been spent so far. $85 million was provided by the federal government.
Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District
The groundwater storage capacity of the San Gabriel Valley Basin is about 10.7 million acre-feet. Precipitation in the Basin ranges from 15-31 inches and averages about 19 inches.
Opening of NASA-funded water-treatment plant celebrated
Raising glasses of perchlorate-free water, city, state, federal and NASA officials toasted the official opening of the $8.5 million Monk Hill Water Treatment Plant in northwest Pasadena on Thursday.(10/20/2011). Courtesy of the Pasadena Star News.
Pasadena Water and Power and other agencies tangle with Legislature-appointed Delta Council
60% of Pasadena's water comes from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). Courtesy of the Pasadena Star News.
Delta Stewardship Council
The Delta Stewardship Council was created in legislation to achieve the state mandated coequal goals for the Delta. "'Coequal goals' means the two goals of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem. The coequal goals shall be achieved in a manner that protects and enhances the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource, and agricultural values of the Delta as an evolving place." (CA Water Code §85054).
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a consortium of 26 cities and water districts that provides drinking water to nearly 19 million people in parts of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. The mission of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is to provide its service area with adequate and reliable supplies of high-quality water to meet present and future needs in an environmentally and economically responsible way. Metropolitan currently delivers an average of 1.7 billion gallons of water per day to a 5,200-square-mile service area.
Pasadena Water Quality Reports
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) require Pasadena Water & Power to provide annual water quality testing results to its consumers.
FAQs About Your Water Service
About 36% of PWP supply is groundwater from the Raymond Groundwater Basin and is pumped out of 16 deep wells located throughout Pasadena. 61% of PWP water is imported from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and consists of a blend of water from Northern California and the Colorado River. The remaining 3 percent is purchased from neighboring water agencies that combine surface water and groundwater.
Raymond Groundwater Basin
The Raymond Basin includes the water-bearing sediments bounded by the contact with consolidated basement rocks of the San Gabriel Mountains on the north and the San Rafael Hills on the southwest. The west boundary is delineated by a drainage divide at Pickens Canyon Wash and the southeast boundary is the Raymond fault. Precipitation averages in the basin range from about 19 inches in valley to 25 inches in upland areas. The average precipitation over the basin is about 21 inches.
Los Angeles County Water Well Locations
Use this site to find nearby wells in your area. Then using the well number get historical data about that well.
Monk Hill Water Treatment Plant
Located at 2696 Windsor Ave. in Northwest Pasadena near JPL, the Monk Hill Treatment Plant is operational as of late 2010 and PWP began service from the plant on July 6, 2011.
Recycled Water
Pasadena Recycled Water Program 
Recycled Water Project
This project started in 2011 and will be completed by 2019 providing recycled water to almost all public sites in Pasadena and Altadena. In 1993 the Pasadena City Council authorized the purchase of 6,000 acre-feet of recycled water per year from the Los Angeles/Glendale Water Reclamation Plant, but no recycled water has yet come to Pasadena. Despite Pasadena’s $6.3 million financial commitment, Pasadena has not moved ahead on building the distribution system from Scholl Canyon through West Pasadena due to financial concerns. (5/6/14).
Phase One Status
City Council to approve the proposed first phase of the recycle water project which will run from Scholl Canyon to Brookside Golf Course. (10/24/16).
Pasadena Recycled Water Program Latest update
This is the latest update on the recycled water program for the city of Pasadena. (1/12/16).
Pasadena Recycled Water Program Latest update
This is the latest update on the recycled water program for the city of Pasadena. (4/12/16).
Los Angeles-Glendale Water Reclamation Plant
Approximately 20 million gallons of wastewater are processed per day.
In The News
Fitch Affirms Pasadena’s Water Revenue Bonds at ‘AA+’; Outlook Stable
This is a report of the status for the current water bonds in the city of Pasadena. (11/8/2013) Courtesy of Pasadena Now.
Foothill Municipal Water District announces replacement project for emergency standby generators
The new generators will protect potable water from being compromised by emergencies such as earthquakes, or high winds like the ones in 2011 that affected service. (8/10/2013) Courtesy of the Pasadena Star News.
See also:
Clean Water Tax
Hahamongna Watershed Park
Where does Pasadena Electricity Come From