About The District

Mission Statement

A community service commitment to protect public health and safety and to preserve the natural environment through the collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater in the most cost-effective way possible.
Montecito Sanitary District

General
The Montecito Sanitary District is located in coastal Santa Barbara County, California, approximately 95 miles northwest of the City of Los Angeles on U.S. Highway 101, just south of the City of Santa Barbara.

The District was organized in 1947 pursuant to the Sanitary District Act of 1923 (Division 6 of the California Health and Safety Code) to provide for the collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater to residents within its service area. The District has a service area of approximately 8.9 square miles and an estimated population of approximately 9,000 people. The District currently serves 3,185 properties.

The wastewater collection system includes approximately 61 miles of VCP gravity pipeline of which approximately 26 miles have been rehabilitated, 12 miles of PVC gravity pipeline, 2.2 miles of sewer force mains, and 5 pump stations. The collection system's underground network of pipes range in size from 6 to 21 inches in diameter. The majority of the facilities were installed between 1961 and 1969.

Wastewater is piped to the District's Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment. The Treatment Plant, which has a capacity to treat an average of 1.5 million gallons per day, provides full secondary treatment that includes comminution, aerated activated sludge tanks, secondary clarification, chlorination and dechlorination. In 2016 the amount of wastewater that was treated at the Treatment Plant was approximately 650,000 gallons per day.

Board Members

The District is governed by a five-member Board of Directors and each Director is elected on an at-large basis for four-year terms. In 2001, the Board voted to align its elections with the Statewide General Elections to increase voter turnout and achieve a substantial cost savings.

Committees

The following standing committees were established at the December 8, 2023 Board of Directors meeting.

Meetings

The Montecito Sanitary District Board meets monthly, the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 12:00 pm.

Staff

The Montecito Sanitary District's staff is dedicated to carrying out the District's mission of protecting public health and safety and to preserve the natural environment through the collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater in the most cost-effective way possible.