Welcome to CWSA
History
Advocacy
Membership
The Community Water Systems Alliance is a coalition of large and small water providers, including special districts, cities, and mutual water companies. The Alliance is based on larger systems helping small systems continue to provide clean, safe, and affordable drinking water to economically disadvantaged communities and limited-income people in water systems of any size.
Following the principle “large helping small,” the Alliance provides a voice on legislative and regulatory issues for systems that are leaders in their communities and have the resources to assist smaller, nearby water systems with a variety of issues. We believe that bringing these voices together has the greatest impact at all levels of government.
CWSA is an initiative under the fiscal sponsorship of the California Association of Mutual Water Companies (CalMutuals).
Member Spotlight
San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency
San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (Pass Agency), like many of our members, exemplifies the concept of “large helping small.”
As a wholesaler agency in Riverside County, it has several initiatives aimed to bring support to smaller systems in its region. Its unique gap funding program provides 0% interest loans from unrestricted general funds to smaller and disadvantaged water systems, giving them the up-front capital to accept State and Federal grants (which are typically reimbursement-based) sooner and without shifting costs onto customers.
The Pass Agency is also partnering with Riverside County to install seven heli-hydrants at various water agencies throughout the region, funded through federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. The hydrants will let helicopters to refill with water in under ten seconds, providing fast, reliable firefighting water supply in times of need.
Read more here about the real impacts and help that the Pass Agency’s bridge funding program has brought to their region, highlighted in AWWA’s SOURCE Magazine.