Consolidation

Effective June 24, 2015, Senate Bill 88 (Statutes 2015, Chapter 27) added sections 116680-116684 to the California Health and Safety Code, allowing the State Water Board to require certain water systems that consistently fail to provide safe drinking water to consolidate with, or receive an extension of service from, another public water system. The consolidation can be physical or managerial. Although for many years the Drinking Water program has encouraged — and will continue to encourage — voluntary consolidations of public water systems, the new authority will allow it to mandate consolidation of water systems where appropriate. Please note that extension of service to domestic wells is authorized only when agreed to by the well owner. The changes to the Health and Safety Code, as defined in SB 88, give the Division of Drinking Water authority to mandate such consolidations or extension of service following a series of specific actions. The State Water Board’s Division of Drinking Water will issue letters to water systems to consolidate with, or seek an extension of service, from a public water system. The recipients of such letters have up to six months from the date the letter is issued to voluntarily consolidate with, or receive extension of service from, a public water system. All letters to public water systems, consolidation orders, petitions, responses, and administrative indices are available to the public upon request.

Does this really happen? Yes. Here is one example:

In 2020, mandatory consolidation of the West Water Company (near Cloverdale) with Fitch Mountain water system was ordered by the State Water Board. Why? Their well was only 62 feet deep, it did not have a proper seal, and E. coli was found in the untreated water produced by the well. A Notice of Public Meeting about this consolidation can be found here.