Izabella Nickerson

Water Conservation in Goleta

Izabella nickerson

Water Conservation in Goleta

Goleta, California, home to the University of California, Santa Barbara, has remarkable geography. With low water consumption, the city leads the way in water conservation efforts worldwide.

Goleta Water District utilizes the unique terrain to its advantage, maintaining a low-carbon footprint. While this helps combat the effects of climate change worldwide, UCSB students remain conscious of high utility prices and daily water consumption. Students continue to view clean water availability as a critical worldwide concern.

UCSB Sophomore Aiden Maestas is conscious of his water footprint. As an Environmental Science major on the pre-law track, he is a resident of Isla Vista, the neighboring community to UCSB.

“I shower, trying to make sure that I’m not taking more than 10 minutes,” Maestas said.

Goleta Water District is the main water supplier for Goleta. Importing water from Lake Cachuma for residents, including the UCSB campus and Isla Vista.

Maestas finds the water in Isla Vista fairly clean. “Whenever I drink out of a filtered tap, it tastes okay, but not like the best.”

However, he dislikes the tap water on UCSB’s campus. “It’s disgusting, especially the dorm water or in the library.”

As an activist, Maestas views clean water access as a global issue. “People don’t have access to safe drinking water, which is creating a lot of economic disparities. Making it harder for us to fight climate change,” Maestas said.

Maestas is alarmed by the water retention levels in Southern California. “It’s really concerning. When we get huge amounts of rain, I know that none of that’s actually going to go to fighting our drought, because we don’t have a great way of retaining that water,” Maestas said.

With rising temperatures in California, Maestas feels concerned for the future. Maesta’s advice to members of the community is to remain conscious of water usage. “I think the main problem does lie with corporations. But at the end of the day, you have to do what you can do, and that’s what matters.”

Misty Williams, senior Water Resource analyst at Goleta Water District, oversees the water conservation programs. Goleta Water District implements many water conservation efforts. Williams thinks, “It is the most cost-effective way to extend the water supply.”

William highlighted that the District’s focus is on landscaping. Saying that grass and plants are the main water consumers. “A lot of water is used in single-family and residential landscapes,” William said. High water rates have kept water usage in the area low. “Our water is very expensive to obtain, so it’s costly for our customers,” Williams said. Water is so costly because some is bought from the state water project, which is then stored in Lake Cachuma, a reservoir in the Santa Ynez Valley, a 37-minute drive from Isla Vista.

With Goleta’s coastal proximity, it has a mild climate. This allows plants and landscaping to not require much water. “Those are two things that make us really low water consumers, gallons per capita per day compared to the rest of the state,” Williams said.

Goleta’s geographical position provides a unique advantage. Gravity helps move the water down from Lake Cachuma to the Goleta foothills, where it is treated and then to the rest of the Goleta area. William believes “It’s actually a pretty low carbon footprint.” With sufficient funding for rebate programs, Williams believes that the district is doing a great job of implementing all of her water conservation initiatives. “There were times in the past when we did not have much funding for water conservation, but we are where we should be right now, and our gallons per capita per day shows that.”

To promote water conservation, the district has been handing out 1.5-gallon-per-minute shower heads. This has decreased water consumption in the household for years.

The Isla Vista community is mostly renters. William urges renters to talk to landlords about landscaping and irrigation. Toilet leaks and shower heads are the primary sources of household water waste. “Listen for toilet leaks and get them fixed as soon as possible. Then change the shower heads to the low-flow shower heads, that’s going to save a lot.” Williams adds. William suggests residents communicate with landlords to ensure proper shower heads, irrigation methods, and landscaping are used to keep water usage at a minimum.

To learn more about the Goleta Water District and its conservation efforts, visit https://www.goletawater.com/newsletters-and-press/common-water-wasters/

Picture of Lake Cachuma, taken by Rowan Olson, 05/17/2025

Izabella Nickerson

Izabella Nickerson is a second-year Communication major at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is a journalist and writes for the Daily Nexus, UCSB’s school paper. She specifically writes for the sports section. Recently, she has focused on the Division 1 Men’s Volleyball Team. She is part of many clubs, including Women in Media and Women in Business at UCSB. She has participated in Journalism courses at UCSB, having written an event coverage and a piece on UCSB’s student-led sustainability initiatives. Izabella enjoys learning new languages. She is currently fluent in English, Spanish, and proficient in Italian. She hopes to continue her interest in journalism outside of college and pursue a career in sports journalism and media.