On the morning of one of the hottest days of the year, the City of San Fernando celebrated returning to its water wells after two years of importing water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). The city purchased water from MWD after nearing unsafe levels of nitrates in the city’s wells, which required them to be shut down.
“As we turn off the valve and stand on our own, we’re not just restoring water independence, we are reaffirming our commitment to the health and safety and future of San Fernando,” said City of San Fernando Vice Mayor Mary Mendozaat the “Turn Off the Valve” celebration on Sept. 5 at the MWD Connection Facility in the City of San Fernando.
“For years, we faced challenges that tested our resilience, and our wells became compromised,” said Mendoza. “We had to rely on outside sources to meet the most basic need for water. But through perseverance, partnership and the commitment to our community, we made it through.”
After years of water treatment implementation in some contaminated wells, the City of San Fernando officially turned off the connection to MWD on March 8, marking a return to using its well water system.
The Importance of Water Independence
“Water is the most precious resource in California,” said City Manager Nick Kimball on a day when temperatures reached 110 degrees. “And we are fortunate to have our own groundwater system that provides water to all 6,000 customers in the city.”
The City of San Fernando owns and operates four groundwater extraction wells that pump water from the Sylmar Groundwater Basin.
To meet customer demands the city extracts approximately 2,900 acre-feet per year of water from the wells, less than the 3,750 acre-feet per year they have the rights for.
Kimball said having its own water rights allows the city to not be reliant on outside agencies and in turn set its own rates for water usage.
“Because of that our water rates are competitive and lower than some of our surrounding folks that are [using] LA DWP [Department of Water and Power],” said Kimball.
Access to a reliable water source is invaluable and also allowed the City of San Fernando to gain its independence, added Councilwoman Victoria Garcia.
“Because we have our well water, we did not have to join the city of Los Angeles 113 years ago,” said Garcia.
However, the City of San Fernando is still tapped into the MWD system as a backup in the case of emergencies such as the nitrate contamination issue its been facing.
“We want to always have a good relationship with MWD so that we can receive water on an emergency basis,” said Victor Meza, City of San Fernando Water Operations manager.
Sourcing water from MWD comes at a cost. Over the last two years, the city spent around $5.9 million for approximately 2,300 acre-feet a year of water from MWD.
“It’s more expensive right now to purchase MWD water than to treat our own water,” said Meza. “That’s why we were very aggressive in trying to implement the treatment plan.”
How Did the Wells Get Contaminated?
Three of the four wells – Well No. 2A, Well No. 3 and Well No. 7A – were discovered to have nitrate levels that were nearly at (or exceeded) the state’s drinking water maximum contamination level (MCL) of 10 parts per million (ppm).
Consuming large amounts of nitrate can interfere with the oxygen-carrying ability of blood for infants and pregnant women, according to the California Department of Public Health. Some scientific studies also suggested links between high nitrate levels with birth defects and certain cancers.
A University of California, Davis study, cited by the California State Water Board, found that agricultural fertilizers and animal wastes applied to cropland are the largest sources of nitrate in groundwater. It concluded that most nitrate detected in drinking water wells today was originally applied to the surface decades ago, and problems will likely worsen for decades.
The mountains form the backdrop to this grove of baby orange trees in the San Fernando Valley, 1937. Channels between the rows are filled with water, demonstrating one method of irrigation. (Photo by Herman Schultheis, courtesy of the Herman J Schultheis Collection/Los Angeles Public Library) 
A view of olive groves on Roxford Avenue, north of Sylmar, 1937. (Photo courtesy of Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library) 
Dairy production was common in the area. Shown above are a herd of Holstein cattle feeding at Silver Shield Dairy on Wicks street in Sun Valley, Aug. 23, 1956. In the background are familiar towers of Valley Steam Plant. (Photo by George Brangan, courtesy of Valley Times Collection/Los Angeles Public Library)
Meza said the high levels of nitrates in the City of San Fernando most likely originated from agriculture and farming production that once operated in the area.
According to the Los Angeles Public Library, the City of San Fernando developed from ranching activities surrounding the Mission de San Fernando Rey. In the early 1800s, the settlement grew into a small trading center where farm crops, citrus, olives, wine and thousands of livestock were bought and sold. For a half-century, the area was considered an “agricultural gem” partly because of the deep wells that provided a reliable water supply.
By the 1920s, fruit, especially citrus cultivation, was the San Fernando Valley’s biggest industry. Olives flourished in the Mediterranean-like climate, with the 2,000-acre Sylmar olive grove being the world’s largest at the time. The area also had dairy farms, including the world’s largest Guernsey cattle herd.
Fertilizers used in this agricultural production and animal waste most likely contributed to the current contamination.
Victor Meza, City of San Fernando Water Operations manager
“That contamination leached into the groundwater over years and years, and we just started seeing the levels of nitrates rise,”
“That contamination leached into the groundwater over years and years, and we just started seeing the levels of nitrates rise [in the well water],” said Meza. “Once it reached the MCL of 10 [ppm], we had to shut it down and implement some treatment.”
The City Combats Contamination
City of San Fernando Mayor Celeste Rodriguez said she distinctly remembers when councilmembers received a call from the maintenance supervisor who shared “that the nitrate level in our water was becoming unsafe that it was consistently getting higher, and if we didn’t act ourselves to shut our wells down, the state may act on our behalf and shut it down for us.”
But, long before Rodriguez became Mayor, those who worked for the city knew there were problems. The city stopped extraction from Well No. 7A and Well No. 3, in 2007 and 2009. However, it retained its water independence with the highest-producing well, Well No. 2A, which alone can provide all the water needed for the city.
A treatment system was installed on Well No. 7A in 2018, followed by approval from the City Council in 2021 to use state funding secured by State Sen. Robert Hertzberg, to purchase and install a treatment system on Well No. 3.
In 2022, Well No. 2A was shut down as a precautionary measure due to nitrate levels nearing the 10 ppm limit.
“We’ve always had some level of nitrates in our water table,” said Kimball. “In 2022 what happened is that there was just a spike. … When [nitrate levels in Well 2A] went up to the high nines, is when we made the decision to shut it down.”
The city was no longer water self-sufficient and had to import water from MWD for the first time in over a decade.
In March, the nitrate treatment and removal system for Well No. 3 was completed. The well was placed back into operation, allowing the city to “turn off the valve” and transition back into water independence.
Will a Compromise Be the Next Step?
With the largest well (No. 2A) still contaminated, the city is discussing the next steps.
“The next phase of this process is going to be possibly implementing a blending plan for Well 2A and/or adding another treatment facility,” said Meza.
Although cheaper than purchasing water from MWD, Meza said treatment is still very costly.
“Just one of the treatment plants alone cost us $3 million to implement,” said Meza, a cost that is typically passed onto consumers.
“We want to make sure that we provide our residents with affordable water. But ultimately, it has to be safe, potable, drinking water that meets the State’s and federal drinking water regulations,” he added.
A blending plan takes the higher nitrate level water from Well 2A and mixes it with the purified water from the other wells, averaging the nitrate level between the wells. This would lower the nitrate levels to an acceptable drinking level for every well, but not fully purify or remove all nitrates from the water.
According to Kimball, the blending plan will most likely be used as an interim solution while a treatment system is built on Well 2A, since the money has already been secured and designs are being drafted.
“We’ve been really fortunate to have both of our state legislators really push for getting us funding,” said Kimball. “Which is great, because then that burden isn’t on our customers.”
State Sen. Caroline Menjivar secured $3 million for City of San Fernando water infrastructure projects in July 2023, including for the construction of a nitrate treatment and removal system for Well No. 2A.
“This [extremely hot] day is even more of a reminder that [water] is a basic need. Access to water should be and is enshrined in a human’s right,” said Menjivar. “City of San Fernando, I’m so glad to be standing here partnering with you… and I’m excited to come back when Well 2A is ready to go.”
Water Resilience for Future Generations
MWD Chair Adán Ortega celebrated the City of San Fernando’s move back to water independence, especially when “we’re seeing the impacts of climate change in real-time” and are vehemently trying to preserve the “precious resources of the Colorado River.”
“The city has worked tirelessly to preserve and maintain our water system and ensure the continued delivery of safe drinking water to all of the residents and businesses in this area,” said Ortega. “The construction of the nitrate removal project allowing the city to return to its groundwater supplies is an example of that.”
Rodriguez said that across the state, communities with contaminated water often don’t have the resources to maintain and secure a clean water supply. She thanked Menjivar and MWD for their care and support in ensuring the City of San Fernando regain its water independence.
“We’re building resilience, so [that] we will always have access to safe water here in San Fernando,” said Rodriguez. “Today, we’re celebrating our independence, and maintaining our independence well into the future, for generations [to come].”
Sounds like this potentially tricky transition was well planned and wisely implemented. I was preparing many nosy questions, but they seem to have all been considered!