Nipomo, CA -- Everyday, Nipomo residents rely on water from a large underground aquifer that covers a surface area of about 256 square miles and serves parts of southern San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties. But, local officials say, more water is being pulled from that source under the Nipomo Mesa than is being replenished. Nipomo Community Services District officials have been working on a multimillion-dollar project to bring extra water from Santa Maria to Nipomo through a pipeline, a project that was nearing construction a year ago. The only thing missing was money.

A poll of Nipomo residents showed having an adequate drinking water supply was a top concern, but many didn’t know that a water shortage existed. Opponents of the project, namely The Mesa Community Alliance, say they want a more cost effective and broader solution.