Scotts Valley Water District

The District is located six miles north of the City of Santa Cruz, along Highway 17 and covers approximately six square miles including most of the City of Scotts Valley and a portion of the unincorporated area north of the City, serving about 10,700 people through 4,200 service connections. It generally follows the boundary of the City of Scotts Valley, although it is managed completely separate from the City. Notable exceptions to the service area include much of City limits south of Mt. Hermon Road, mainly Pasatiempo Pines and Manana Woods subdivisions, and Vista Del Lago and Spring Lakes Mobile Home Parks. These areas are served by San Lorenzo Valley Water District.

Scotts Valley Water District was created in 1961 by a vote of the people within the proposed District. At the time, there was not City of Scotts Valley, and the District was formed under the County Water District Act for the purpose of providing water for domestic, commercial, municipal and firefighting purposes. Beginning in 1962, SVWD acquired and consolidated several small mutual water supply systems, namely the Santa Hacienda Mutual and Terrace View Mutual water companies, as well as the water system serving the bible college and surrounding area at Bethany Park. Since then, the District has grown to service its current area and works closely with local and state agencies to ensure a sustainable supply of high quality drinking and recycled water for its customers.

Mission

Scotts Valley Water District (SVWD) delivers sustainable, high-quality water service in an environmentally responsible and financially sound manner.

Core Values

Scotts Valley Water District is:

• Innovative
• Efficient
• Adaptable
• Collaborative
• Approachable
• Vision

Scotts Valley Water District is a results-driven, data-oriented public agency that provides effective actions, superior customer service and visionary leadership.

Strategic Goals

Water Resource Management – SVWD meets the water supply needs of its customers by developing new, sustainable sources and maximizing the use of existing sources.

Water System Integrity – SVWD provides continuous investment in its infrastructure and process improvements to ensure the efficiency of its operations.

Financial Stewardship – SVWD manages its financial resources in a manner that ensures the reliability of its operations and provides the greatest value to its customers.

Community Engagement – SVWD proactively creates opportunities for strategic alliances and mutually beneficial relationships with its customers and partners.

Organizational Vitality – SVWD recruits and retains the highest quality employees and board members by offering a work environment in which they can thrive and succeed.

Collaboration

District staff has worked closely with the City of Scotts Valley, the County Environmental Health Department and Regional Water Quality Control Board in protecting the local groundwater quality. The District, City and Scotts Valley Fire District collaborate during the review of development plans to ensure compliance with regulations and consistency in conditions of approval.

SVWD is a member of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), the largest statewide coalition of public water agencies in the country. ACWA’s 430 members are collectively responsible for 90% of the water delivered to cities, farms and businesses in California.

Governance & Compliance

The District is governed by a publicly-elected, five-person Board of Directors that holds public meetings on the second Thursday of each month. The day-to-day administrative and operational functions are conducted with a staff of 18 employees. The Districts’ operating plan and certified personnel are regulated and certified by the State Water Resources Control Board.