The economy of the Pajaro Valley relies on the availability of water. Eighty-four percent of water use is used for agriculture, and is almost all supplied by groundwater (Hanson, 2003). Because the Pajaro River watershed crosses multiple county lines, water supply is monitored by several agencies.
The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA) is the main agency responsible for managing the existing and supplemental water supplies within its service boundaries. Some of the goals of the agency are to reduce long-term overdraft and to ensure the availability of sufficient water supplies to meet current and projected needs. The agency is only responsible for the availability of non-potable (irrigation) water.
The following local water purveyors are responsible for supplying potable (drinking) water: