SANTA MARIA - There's been decent snowfall in the upper elevations this season.
But it's the snow pack that determines how much water will come down the pipeline for cities and agencies that are part of the State Water Project.
"DWR (Department of Water Resources) just came out and announced that the snow pack is about 75 percent of normal right now", says Bill Brennan with Central Coast Water Authority which overseas 13 State Water Project clients in Santa Barbara County, "they are promising right now, a 40 percent allocation which means 40 percent of the requested water will be available this year."
The good news is a large amount of water was carried over from last year and State Water officials believe there's enough to provide cities and agencies on the Central Coast the water they need.
Including the City of Santa Maria which is at less than 60 percent of the yearly annual rainfall for this time of year.
"The local water situation is in no means in dire straights", says Rick Sweet, Utilities Director for the City of Santa Maria, "we'd sure like to see a little bit more rainfall but I don't think there's anything immediately to worry about."
Thanks in large part to two of the last three years that saw above average rainfall and mountain runoff that filled local reservoirs and, perhaps more importantly, recharged groundwater basins for domestic and agricultural use.
