The Montecito Water District was incorporated on November 10, 1921 as the Montecito County Water District under the provisions of Chapter 387, Statues of 1913 of the State of California.

The 1913 Act was superseded by the present County Water District Act found in Division 12 of the State of California Water Code.

Montecito County Water District changed its name to "Montecito Water District" pursuant to Section 31006 of the Water Code. The District was formed for the purposes of furnishing potable water within the District.

The District is located in the southern coastal portion of Santa Barbara County and includes the unincorporated communities of Montecito and Summerland. It has a population of approximately 13,100 and currently provides water to approximately 4,500 customers.

The District encompasses an area of 9,888 acres, of which approximately 6,883 acres are developed (about 98 % as residential and 2% as commercial) and approximately 849 acres are currently used for agriculture. The District terrain is relatively steep, varying in elevation from sea level to 1,000 feet. The system is gravity-fed with a series of pressure zones controlled by pressure regulating stations, with water pumped from the South Coast conduit and from wells.

The District assumes that the undeveloped land within its boundaries will continue to be developed and that the District's estimated population at buildout, or the year 2020, will be approximately 15,650.