NEW!!! Water Management Program

The Water Division of the Public Works Department has initiated a Water Management Program to inform residents and businesses in Solvang that water is a diminishing resource and that only small steps are required to conserve this resource. The aim of the program is to make people aware of their water use and to suggest ways for them to monitor and reduce the amount of water that’s being wasted in Solvang. Weekly tips are being offered in the Santa Ynez Valley News. The City of Solvang also works collaboratively with other agencies to provide water management and conservation information. For ideas on water wise gardening click here. To obtain additional information about water conservation and programs throughout Santa Barbara County click here.

The City's water system is made up of nearly 32 miles of water mains, four water wells, three reservoirs, two connections to Santa Ynez Regional Water Conservation

District and the newest improvement, our State Project Water pump station. Through 1,902 service connections, the City's water system serves a population of 5,450.

The Water Division has a staff of four Water Operators. These four operators are responsible for the operation and maintenance of the entire water system.


Some of the duties of the water division include; valve exercising, water quality testing, a water meter change out program, and fire hydrant maintenance.

Valve exercising is an ongoing task we perform to assure that a proper water main shut-down is possible, if needed in an emergency. This is also important for our regular water line flushing program.

The water division performs daily testing of Solvang's drinking water to verify we are providing a safe supply of municipal water.

Click here to see our latest water quality report.

The city is currently involved in a 'meter change-out' program. We are replacing our older meters with new ones as part of our regular maintenance program. The new meters are easier to read and enable us to accurately investigate possible water leaks in the service lines.

We are also responsible for keeping an eye on maintenance of the city's fire hydrant system, including pressure testing, meeting fire flows and making sure the hydrants are in good working order.