Suburban Water’s single, most important function is to provide customers with clean and healthful water that continually meets or surpasses all state and federal health and safety standards.
As a public water utility, we take great pride and care in fulfilling this responsibility 365 days a year, seven days a week and 24 hours a day. Our stringent water quality control program ensures that all water supply sources have been tested and approved by health agencies. We stand behind the quality of our water. So if you are a Suburban Water customer, turn on your tap with confidence. Here’s to your health!
Suburban’s Water Supply
About 80% of our water supply comes from groundwater that is pumped by local wells we own. These wells are located in the San Gabriel Valley and Central Basins.
The Basins are giant underground reservoirs that can cover hundreds of square miles. Water is collected in these basins when rainfall or water runoff seeps into the aquifer, an underground area of rock, clay, sand and gravel that stores the water. The Main San Gabriel Basin is 167 square miles and contains an estimated 8.6 million acre-feet of water. The Central Basin is 278 square miles with a capacity to store 13 million acre-feet of water.
Suburban Water obtains its remaining supply from surface water (which comes from lakes, rivers and streams). The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which imports water via aqueducts from Northern California and the Colorado River, is our largest provider of surface water. In addition, we receive surface water from Covina Irrigating Company and California Domestic Water Company.
Although groundwater and surface water are both excellent sources of supply, groundwater usually requires less treatment than surface water. Because groundwater is pumped from deep within the earth, it is generally free of contamination from bacteriological sources and therefore only chlorine is used to disinfect the water. Surface water, however, requires a more extensive treatment process. Before surface water is distributed to customers, it must be filtered and disinfected with chlorine and/or chloramines at treatment plants to control bacteria.
Some Suburban Water customers may receive either groundwater or surface water exclusively, while others may receive a blend of both depending upon where they live or according to availability. If you would like specific information as to your source of water, contact our water quality department at (626) 543-2500.