Introduction to Mutual Water Companies 060925-10

In California, over 1,000 Mutual Water companies play a crucial role in ensuring the delivery of safe drinking water to their communities. Technically, these public water systems are corporations and were formed differently than most of the other 6500 public water systems in the state and they have some minor foundational difference. However, Mutual Water companies still must adhere to state and federal regulations to be in compliance and should be following best practices for management and operation. Like all public water systems, Mutual Water companies are required to provide safe drinking water to their customers, also known as Stakeholders. This may require treatment techniques that have been prescribed by Best Available Technologies. Once the water is treated, regulations require monitoring and testing the drinking water. System will also need to adhere to operational practices to help ensure that the water quality does not change once it has been treated. It is the boards job to make sure that all of these bases are covered, and this workshop will help the board members and staff for these public water systems better to acquire improved management skills, better system compliance, and enhanced water quality. In order to accomplish this, the it is in the best interest of the board members for Mutual Water Companies to have planning documents to accomplish these tasks.