About Salt and Drinking Water
Salt is a mineral that comes into contact with water in almost every system, but too much salt is a serious concern and must be managed.
Some examples where salt can impact drinking water quality include:
- Groundwater basins in coastal regions can be threatened by seawater intrusion.
- Rivers including the Colorado River have higher salt content that need to be blended to improve the taste and quality.
- Levees and artificial barriers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta have been used to protect fresh drinking water systems from salt water intrusion from the San Francisco Bay.
California WaterFix is designed to help capture and deliver high quality water from the Sierra Nevada mountains and keep the state's drinking water fresh, safe and pure.
When blended with Colorado River supplies, this water helps to reduce the amount of salt in Southern California water supplies, allowing it to be stored in underground aquifers that currently have salt restrictions.
Less salt also makes it easier to recycle water, which is important for Southern California's long-term water supply reliability.
Photo courtesy of DWR:
2015 Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta temporary rock barrier to prevent saltwater intrusion.
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