Resident counters proposed plan to shift water service ahead of CVWD meeting
Shay Lawson
SKY VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – Some Sky Valley and Desert Edge residents are voicing opposition ahead of a September 23 public hearing where the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) will consider whether to hand off water and wastewater services in parts of its Improvement District 8 to Mission Springs Water District (MSWD).
Tabitha Davies, co-director of Esperanza’s Sanctuary, said the proposal would sharply increase costs for families and nonprofits in the area.
“For an example, Tier 1 through the Coachella Valley Water District is about $1.09 per CCF, and Mission Springs is anywhere from $2.30 to over $3,” Davies said. “As a farm sanctuary teaching people how to feed themselves and running a community garden, our water usage costs would quadruple overnight.”
Davies also cited MSWD’s 2022 settlement of a $225,000 class action lawsuit over failed water meters that led to increased bills for Desert Hot Springs residents.
“Mission Springs consistently put out messaging that there was nothing wrong with the meters,” Davies said. “It turned out they were faulty and they had to settle that to basically reimburse the residents who were overcharged, but that’s a fraction of what most of those people had been paying as a whole. I think that lack of transparency and lack of accountability just says a significant amount of how they’re operating in the city of Desert Hot Springs and we don’t need that out here.”
Water quality is another concern for Davies. She said residents fear contamination could worsen under MSWD’s oversight.
“With development out here, our aquifers are being stressed. With that stress comes access to toxins like Chromium-6” Davies said.
She also said residents didn’t receive adequate warning ahead of meeting.
“You’re coming in and giving them less than 20 days notice to even attend a meeting that’s having that decision change happen. I think that that’s not acceptable,” Davies said.
In a statement to News Channel 3, CVWD’s Communication Manager said:
“This is on the Board Agenda for the CVWD Board of Directors to discuss next Tuesday. Our agenda will be posted later this afternoon, which includes background information and a Board Resolution on this topic. The proposal would benefit residents by allowing them to connect to MSWD’s domestic water system for improved service reliability. It would also allow MSWD to potentially explore sewer services, which are not available on CVWD’s system due to the location of its water reclamation facilities.”
Davies said most residents paid for and already maintain their septic systems.
“Taking away someone’s ability to have their own septic system, and then forcing them to pay what the new water district decides is going to be their sewer hookup cost and the fact that it is usually extremely expensive built in to property taxes is again, not acceptable,” Davies said.
In a statement to News Channel 3, MSWD’s Marion J. Champion, assistant general manager, said:
“The MSWD Board has yet to take any formal action on this matter, as our primary focus remains on serving our existing customers. We have been approached by CVWD regarding the potential takeover of service in the ID8 area and we are currently conducting the necessary financial and system due diligence needed before a path forward can be determined.”
The CVWD board is scheduled to conduct a public hearing on the matter Sept. 23 at 8 a.m at 51501 Tyler Street, Coachella, CA.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage.