RIVERSIDE, CA – During its May 18 Board meeting, the Western Municipal Water District (Western) Board of Directors adopted Resolution 3225 to support the statewide effort led by the California Special Districts Association (CSDA) to educate California residents about special districts and the services provided by these agencies. Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 180 designating Sunday, May 15 to Saturday, May 21, 2022, as Special Districts Week in California.
“We are excited to share more with our community about the critical and essential services special districts like Western provide to ensure a safe, vibrant and thriving community,” said Western General Manager Craig Miller. “This week is a wonderful opportunity to engage with and educate our customers and stakeholders about the vital role Western plays as a special district to provide safe, reliable water and wastewater services.”
ACR 180 is sponsored by CSDA, a statewide association representing special districts and affiliate organizations throughout the state. Special districts are local government entities created, funded, and overseen by the residents they serve, to provide specialized services and infrastructure. Statewide, more than 2,000 special districts provide millions of Californians with essential services. These special districts include drinking water, sanitation and water recycling, fire protection, electricity, parks and recreation, healthcare, and more.
“Special districts are formed by residents to provide essential services that they want and need at the local level. They provide an opportunity to have local control while enhancing services that make communities survive and thrive,” said CSDA’s CEO Neil McCormick. “We appreciate the Legislature’s support in raising awareness and increasing understanding about the special districts that serve our State’s communities.”
Western also has the privilege of recognizing the substantial contributions of our public works professionals during National Public Works Week, also being celebrated the third week of May. Sponsored by the American Public Works Association, Western will pay tribute to it highly specialized staff and the efforts undertaken every day to protect national health, safety, and quality of life. This year’s theme, Ready & Resilient, highlights the ability of public works professionals to perform regular public works duties and still be ready at a moment’s notice to react as first responders during natural disasters or emergencies.
“Throughout the pandemic and now moving into prolonged drought conditions, recognizing the work of those that keep safe, reliable water flowing to our customers is more important than ever,” said Miller. “Our ever-changing climate will continue to present challenges that I know Western is planning for and is well-equipped to manage thanks to the efforts of our elite workforce and the strong conservation efforts of our customers.”
Western was formed as an independent special district in 1954 to provide water service to areas of the county and city of Riverside that did not have access to groundwater. As a special district that provides both water and wastewater (sewer) services with dedicated public works crews that keep the system flowing, Western enjoys this annual opportunity to educate the public about special districts, the critical services they provide, and the value offered to Western’s customers through this special designation.
Western invites the community to tune in on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as we recognize special districts and the dedicated individuals who keep your water and wastewater systems flowing. We will spotlight the highly skilled and trained staff that work behind the scenes and highlight the infrastructure and service investments that meet a critical need in the communities we support. Customers can also learn more about Western by visiting, wmwd.com.
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Western Municipal Water District is one of the largest public agencies in Riverside County, providing water and wastewater (sewer) services to nearly a million people, both retail and wholesale customers who live, work, and play within 527-square miles in one of California’s most populous regions. Learn more: wmwd.com.