Opportunity  for Public Comment

To build and operate the CAPP project, the District will need to add a charge to customer water bills, or to property tax bills of parcels within the District’s service area. Are you opposed to a CAPP charge on your tax bill, as opposed to your water bill? To provide public comments please complete this form by May 31, 2025.

FAQs

Why does the District need a new charge?

In June, the Board of Directors of the Carpinteria Valley Water District (CVWD) will vote whether to proceed with the Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project (CAPP). CAPP is a drought-resistant, locally controlled water source. The project takes recycled water, purifies it to drinking water standards, and injects it into the groundwater, replenishing the local groundwater basin. As a result, Carpinteria Valley is less reliant on imported water, which is becoming increasingly expensive and unreliable.

If the CAPP project is approved, the District will need a way to fund construction as well as ongoing operation and maintenance. Traditionally, the District would pass these costs on to customers as a fixed charge on their monthly water bill. The District is considering recovering these charges through property taxes instead of monthly water bills.

How much will I be charged?

The CAPP charge will be a fixed charge that is scaled based on meter size. This ensures fairness across customers. In spring of 2026, the District will distribute a Proposition 218 notice to all customers with the proposed charge amount for each meter size.

Until spring 2026, the District can ONLY ESTIMATE expected charges.

• If the District proceeds with recovering CAPP costs through water bills, it ESTIMATES customers may see a 7.5% to 11% increase in their water bill each year, from fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2028.
• Instead, if the District recovers CAPP costs through property tax bills, it ESTIMATES the following ANNUAL charges by meters size."

Why is the District considering putting this new CAPP charge on my property taxes rather than my water bill?

One of the primary advantages of placing CAPP charges on property tax bills is the potential to minimize the financial burden felt by customers. In a climate of rising consumer prices and persistent inflation, sustained increases in monthly water bills could strain household budgets. By shifting the charges to property tax bills, CVWD believes the financial impact may feel less burdensome to customers, even though the total cost remains unchanged.

How will the new CAPP charge impact my water bill?

If the District puts the CAPP charge on property tax bills rather than water bills, then the CAPP charge will not appear on your water bill. Changes in the rates and charges on your water bill from year to year will reflect inflation and other changes in the District’s budget but will not include CAPP charges.

When will this charge appear on my water bill or property tax bill?

The charges would first appear on your water bill in June of 2026. Alternatively, the charges would first appear on your property tax bill in October of 2026.