Customer Care Your Water Transparency Water Efficiency About Us Search HomeAbout Us About Us Recycled Water Reservoir Providing High-Quality Services Since 1964 Santa Margarita Water District provides safe, reliable drinking water, recycled water and wastewater services to over 165,000 residents in eight unique communities: Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita and the communities of Coto de Caza, Las Flores, Ladera Ranch, Village of Sendero and Esencia, and Talega in San Clemente. The District is the second largest retail water agency in Orange County, by area, and third largest by customers served. One hundred percent of the District’s drinking water supply is imported from hundreds of miles away. Santa Margarita Water District is committed to developing local, reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective water supplies for today and generations to come. Strategic Goals: Recycle 100% of the District’s wastewater by the end of 2019 30% of drinking water supply from local sources by 2030 6 months of drinking water storage by 2030 Mission Statement The Santa Margarita Water District provides our customers with quality water and wastewater service – maximizing human, environmental, and financial resources – to help guide South Orange County’s water and wastewater needs into the next century. SMWD Statistics 62,674 Acres within the District’s territory 170,000 Residents SMWD serves 50,500 Residential connections 2,250 Commercial connections 1,400 Potable Irrigation connections 1,500 Recycled Water Irrigation connections 1,385 Miles of water and sewer lines SMWD maintains 400 Domestic water storage (in million gallons) 21 Domestic pump stations 1.5 Recycled water storage (in billion gallons) 14 Recycled water pump stations 500 Urban return flows collected annually (in million gallons) 9 Average daily wastewater flows (in million gallons) 3 Sewage treatment plants operated by SMWD 21 Sewer lift stations The Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD) was formed in 1964 as a landowner district (Section 35306 of the California Water Code) by a group of ranchers who wanted to create a reliable source of water for their cattle. The first neighborhoods of Mission Viejo had not been built yet, and SMWD provided water to more cows than people. Contact Us Board of Directors Human Resources Key Staff Events / Education Frequently Asked Questions News Pay My Bill Meetings & Agendas Doing Business Contact Us Santa Margarita Water District proudly provides drinking water, recycled water and wastewater services to over 165,000 residents. customercare@smwd.com (949) 459-6420 www.smwd.com 26111 Antonio Pkwy Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 Stay Connected Facebook Twitter Instagram FAQs Where does our water come from? What are the District's Water Conservation "rules"? Who is the Metropolitan Water District? How much does our water cost to import? Subscribe to SMWD's OnTap Newsletter Your Email Address Site Links Site Map Accessibility Copyright Notices