Carlsbad, CA
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Recycled water is used to irrigate city parks, median strips, shopping areas and housing association common areas. The Carlsbad Metropolitan Water District's recycling facility diverts treated wastewater from the ocean outfall and treats it to a higher standard for local reuse.
Learn moreThe rates customers pay help cover the costs to provide water, recycled water and wastewater services, and fund critical infrastructure improvements.
Learn moreThe City of Carlsbad provides sewer (wastewater) collection services through 288 miles of sewer pipes. Carlsbad's wastewater is delivered to the Encina Wastewater Authority, where it is treated and either released into the ocean or treated further and used as recycled water.
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About the Utilities Department
Carlsbad Municipal Water District provides reliable water and wastewater services for pennies a day, while protecting the natural environment and meeting or exceeding strict water quality requirements.
Carlsbad Municipal Water District provides water service to most of the City of Carlsbad, but some parts of the city are served by other districts for water and for wastewater. View the maps below to find your provider. For properties in the southern portion of the city, contact the Olivenhain Municipal Water District, Leucadia Wastewater District or Vallecitos Water District (water and sewer) for utility service sign-ups, disconnects, installations and payment arrangements.
Recent rain and the drought
After all the rain in Carlsbad and throughout California, you might be wondering what it means for the ongoing drought.
The short answer is: The rains have helped, but conservation is still needed. Why? There are a couple of reasons – one of which is that we are dealing with three years’ worth of extremely dry conditions. So, a few weeks of heavy rain is not enough.
Another factor is where our water comes from. Some of our water comes from Northern California, where rains have been captured by reservoirs, but the areas feeding into the Colorado River remain very dry.
The San Diego region has invested heavily in creating new water supplies, so we are not depending on any single source, like we were in the 1990s. Creating water supplies we can control locally is a big part of the strategy. I’m proud that Carlsbad has long been a leader in promoting local sources, such as water recycling and desalination.
This chart shows how our region’s water sources have been diversified over the years:
You can learn more about this on the San Diego County Water Authority website.
By investing in sustainable water sources and planning for our long-term water supply, we will make sure we’re ready to meet the needs of our community in the decades ahead. And, yes, conservation will always be a way of life here in Southern California.