In June 2020, The Santa Barbara Independent reported that the Montecito Water District board had unanimously approved a 50-year supply contract with the City of Santa Barbara. Montecito would cover USD 33 million, or 46 per cent, of the city's USD 72 million desalination plant, plus a share of running costs. In return the city promised 1,430 acre-feet of potable water until 2072, nearly 40 per cent of the district's demand then. Payments started at USD 4.6 million a year; deliveries were due from 1 January 2022.
The report showed how a municipal desalination plant could become a regional supply source. Critics at the time pointed to high costs in wet years and to water recycling as a possible alternative.
Source: The Santa Barbara Independent