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Monterey Peninsula Again Diverting and Storing Water Through the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Project
One of the three legs of the Monterey Peninsula “three-legged stool” water supply strategy is aquifer storage and recovery. (The other two legs are Pure Water Monterey wastewater recycling and desalination.) When Carmel River water flow reaches a certain level, excess water is diverted from the river (rather than flowing to the ocean) and then pumped to the Seaside Groundwater Basin. (Pure Water Monterey recycled water is also stored in this basin.) When needed, the water is pumped from the basin and distributed to California American Water Company (Cal Am) customers.
ASR operations are dependent on adequate seasonal rainfall. They also require functioning pumps, pipelines, and well infrastructure.
Cal Am and the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD) have announced that the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) program is now in operation for Water Year 2025-2026. It began diverting water on December 26, 2025. Although there are critics of the ASR program, your Chamber supports it as part of a diverse set of sources for water that can be stored in times of drought.
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