As we confront climate change, the famous quote, “Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over,” resonates as a stark reminder of the historical significance of water scarcity in California.

Rather than succumbing to the adversarial notion embedded in the quote, Santa Cruz’s approach to water supply planning draws upon our community’s reputation for collaboration and environmental stewardship.

While we got plenty of rain last winter and this winter, we must avoid being lulled into a false sense of water security. Climate change is impacting the year-to-year management of our water supply and making it hard to know what the future holds. Solving this challenge demands our collective attention. Our local water supply and way of life in Santa Cruz, we depend on it.

The Santa Cruz Water Department is the guardian of our water resources, and its success in continuing to provide reliable water service hinges on your collaboration and support. Tackling our water reliability challenges requires the wisdom, innovation, and dedication of our diverse community.

Before we dive into proposed solutions, let’s take a moment to celebrate the strides our community has made in using water efficiently. Santa Cruz is a shining example of efficient water use — and we all should be proud of that. However, it’s essential to recognize that efficiency alone can’t carry us through the weather whiplash caused by climate change.

Now, the challenging part. Upgrading old infrastructure and finding new sources of water is the only way to create a sustainable and reliable water supply for the future. Through a decade of community engagement, financial planning, and climate modeling, the Water Department has identified a strategic blend of solutions that could be used to meet our future water needs. But what’s the right mix? I’m sure glad we have a dedicated team working on it as you read this article.

Construction to connect our water system to the Scotts Valley Water District’s system is scheduled to start this year. This is the final connection in a series of projects to tie our system in with neighboring systems for continuous water connection from Boulder Creek to La Selva Beach. It’s all been funded by a grant and will improve our resiliency to drought and wildfire.

We’re piloting aquifer storage and recovery, or ASR, at groundwater wells to eventually increase the amount of stored water in local aquifers (an aquifer is like an underground lake that sits between layers of rock and soil). Other potential solutions, such as recycled/purified water and seawater desalination, require ongoing analysis and community input.

Our water stewards are working hard to develop a dynamic roadmap, the Water Supply Augmentation Implementation Plan, to ensure you have the water you need during inevitable droughts. It will build off the success of our water efficiency efforts and priorities outlined in the City Council’s Securing Our Water Future Policy. The plan will be presented to the City Council later this year or early next.

Engage in this crucial conversation about our water future. Attend community forums, share your thoughts, and be an active participant in shaping the plan that will safeguard our water supply for generations to come.

Sign up for the Our Water Our Future Newsletter for updates and opportunities to get involved.

Fred Keeley is the mayor of Santa Cruz.