SMWS has a mutual aid agreement with Cal Am, and during maintenance periods we purchase water from the Cal Am. It costs more to purchase water than to pump it ourselves, so we only use this during emergencies. For example, the pump on Well no. 4 needed repair work during July 2022, and the price SMWS paid to CalAm was $17.65 per hcf versus our cost of $10.60 per hcf. CalAm rates are anticipated to increase in the next year (and years to come) to address desalination, recycled water, and other costs associated with augmenting CalAm’s water supply.