Post Date:08/04/2025

Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) will be operating the Westlake Filtration Plant and Las Virgenes Reservoir from August 4, 2025, until the end of September.

Longtime residents of Westlake Village may be familiar with our annual summertime temporary utilization of Las Virgenes Reservoir water. While operating from the Westlake Filtration Plant and Las Virgenes Reservoir, water may smell or taste different from water served during other times of year. The Westlake Filtration Plant uses a tailored treatment method, which works best for the characteristics of water in the Las Virgenes Reservoir. The water in Las Virgenes Reservoir typically consists of winter rainfall and rain runoff, or treated drinking water purchased through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). Both sources of water receive additional treatment at the Westlake Filtration Plant before being distributed to LVMWD customers. Customers close to the filtration plant may notice a more perceptible chlorine smell when water from the reservoir is distributed. Our highly trained and certified staff constantly monitor the treatment process to ensure it meets or exceeds all water quality standards, as all water served by LVMWD does.

Using the reservoir in the summer allows LVMWD to limit its purchases of imported water during the peak demand season of summer, while also creating room in the reservoir to capture as much natural rainfall as we can during the rainy season. In 2024, having additional room in our reservoir resulted in capturing more than 900-acre feet of water—nearly 10 percent of the reservoir’s capacity. Purchasing that much water would have cost the District and its customers $1.2 million. The Las Virgenes Reservoir is an integral part of our mission to ensure reliable drinking water to LVMWD customers, providing this important summertime supply, as well as ensuring our customers have access to an emergency supply of drinking water in the case of an emergency.