[2][3] Farmers were attracted to the Coachella Valley's inexpensive land, year-around growing season and what was initially a plentiful supply of groundwater.
All domestic water comes from the aquifer/groundwater basin beneath the valley floor ranging from Palm Springs to the Salton Sea and has an estimated capacity of 39.2 million acre feet (an acre foot = 325,851 gallons) down to 1,000 feet (300 m) as determined by the U. S. Geological Survey.
CVWD receives water from the Colorado River through the 123-mile (198 km) Coachella Branch of the All American Canal.
Water in the canal flows entirely by gravity, dropping in elevation an average of one foot per mile.
CVWD, (in cooperation with Desert Water Agency) operates three groundwater replenishment facilities throughout the valley.
More than 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of below ground sewer pipes bring sewage to the individual plants.
Agricultural drainage is removed from farms through an underground tile drain system that terminates in the Salton Sea.
In 2003 with the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA), CVWD's quantified right to Colorado River Water is 450,000 acre feet.
Colorado River water can also be used to irrigate golf courses and for percolation into the ground to replenish the aquifer.
Each year, more courses are added to the system to receive treated wastewater or Colorado River water.
In years of low rainfall, the priority for habitat maintenance and salinity control in the Delta are prioritized over exporting water to Southern California.
CVWDs administrative headquarters is located at 75-515 Hovley Lane East in the heart of Palm Desert.
Two other operations facilities are located at 75-525 Hovley Lane East in Palm Desert and at 51-501Tyler Street in Coachella, California.