San Benito County Water District Overview

The San Benito County Water District manages water resources within the county and is the groundwater sustainability agency (GSA) for the county. The district is governed by an elected five-member board of directors, and administered by the district manager/engineer.

The district owns two surface water treatment plants in the Hollister urban area that deliver drinking water to residents of Hollister and the Sunnyslope County Water District. The district also manages local and imported surface water through the San Benito River System and the San Felipe Distribution System, the latter of which delivers imported Central Valley Project water. This drinking water ultimately becomes recycled water from Hollister’s Reclamation Plant that is used for irrigation.

The county’s underground aquifers are also of utmost importance. Although the groundwater contains a high mineral content, the basin acts as an underground reservoir. Its storage capacity is approximately 500,000 acre-feet of water. For comparison’s sake, San Luis Reservoir has a 2,000,000 acre foot capacity. The three above-ground reservoirs in the county (Hernandez, San Justo and Paicines) hold approximately 31,000 acre-feet combined.

By using a “diverse portfolio” approach, the district uses all the water sources at its disposal to balance the basin and stores water in and out of the county during wet years. By balancing the water in our basin with these different water sources, the District can minimize the effects of drought and reduced allocations as much as possible.