Old-timers will remember the days when almost every toilet or sink in Scotts Valley had a rust stains that tarnished the porcelain.
Although the water was safe to drink, the high level of iron oxide present was apt to stain household fixtures.
With advances in water treatment within the district, those days are long gone. Now, after humble beginnings 50 years ago, Scotts Valley Water District continues to serve the people of Scotts Valley.
A history of growth
When the Scotts Valley Water District was formed Sept. 26, 1961, the area had not yet been incorporated. That would come five years later, in August 1966, when the city of Scotts Valley was formed.
But the water district that came first. Founders consolidated several local water providers, and between 1963 and 1966, four mutual water companies — Santa Hacienda, Orchard Haven, Bethany Park and Terrace View — joined together to form the water district’s initial service area. In the early years, the water district was housed in an old building where Canepa Automotive now stands on Scotts Valley Drive.
In 1987, the district had 2,352 connections. As the city boomed with technology growth in the late 1980s and into the 1990s, the district grew by about 100 connections each year to reach 3,378 connections in 2000. Growth has slowed in the past decade to about 20 connections each year, and there are now 3,604 connections in the district, which serves about 10,300 residents.
Growing pains
Former water district board member Gene Scothorn joined the board in 1980 when, two weeks after he completed a new house inside the district with $10,000 worth of landscaping, an order went out from the district prohibiting all irrigation due to a water supply shortage.
Scothorn, who has a background as a civil engineer in water supply, was shocked.
“This is really ridiculous in the U.S. to have this problem,” he said.
When he went to the district, he found that one of the two water pumps in the district had gone offline, and it would to take weeks or months for a replacement to arrive. In the meantime, the failure cut the water supply in half.
Scothorn was appointed to the board shortly after, with a goal to mend the problems the district faced. He would leave the board in 1989.
Over the next decade, the district grew and used more water. The groundwater elevation dropped by as much as 200 feet during the 1980s and ’90s, because groundwater use increased from less than 500 acre-feet per year to more than 2,000 acre-feet per year between 2001 and 2003.
“I always felt Scotts Valley is a nice town, but it has fast growth,” said Bill Kassis, who served 26 years on the board from 1984 to 2010.
Kassis said his interest during that time was to make sure there would be a water source for future generations.
During the 1980s, a master plan was put into place, and the district essentially traded Borland for the district’s present location near City Hall. Longtime manager John Sansing was an integral part of getting the district headed in the right direction, Scothorn said, as was Howard Norton, another board member.
“I really felt like it was a major contribution, and I’m proud of what we accomplished,” Scothorn said.
The district adopted its first groundwater management plan in 1994, only the third in California, and completed construction of its tertiary facility in 2002, which added a second water source to the city. More than 150 acre-feet of recycled water were delivered to 46 accounts in 2009 and 2010, and the system includes 6.3 miles of recycled water pipelines.
Demand down, groundwater stable
According to the district, groundwater levels have remained relatively stable in recent years, as rain and less use have helped maintain the three aquifers from which the district draws water. Potable water demand has declined by 25 percent since its high in 2001 through 2003, due to an increased emphasis on conservation and greater use of recycled water.
The district is in discussions about a recycled water-for-potable water trade with the city of Santa Cruz, as well as ways to recharge the aquifer.
Kassis said he was fond of his time on the board and the job the district has done.
“The district was always trying to head in the right direction,” Kassis said. “I respect all of them. They did a good job and they’re doing a good job.”
Scotts Valley Water District’s 50th anniversary celebration
When: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27
Where: District office, 2 Civic Center Drive
Info: 438-2363
