Incorporation and Early District Development

District Development by Decade

1930’s

• 324 service connections
• Purchased a one-acre orange grove north of the office building to build a new building at a cost of $1,527.48.
• U.S. Work Progress Administration approved the drilling of a well on the office property with the U.S. government funding 50 per cent of the project
• Metropolitan Water District, bringing Colorado River water supply from its aqueduct to Southern California, constructed a pipeline in Palo Verde Street, requiring all District lines to be moved from the north side of the street to the south side
• Office hours were from 12 noon to 5 p.m., weekdays and 10 a.m. until 12 noon on Saturdays. Secretary’s salary was $65 per month and the Superintendent’s salary was $125 per month. Board members fees were $2.50 per meeting and $1.00 for each special meeting.
• Severe freeze in 1937 and major flood in 1938

1940’s

• Board of Directors lowered the water rates in 1940 and 1942.
• First annexation: Homemakers Tract (Kadota District) from the City of Pomona; 125 metered customers added
• Developed own water supply. (Limited Mutual Water Company was previous supplier)
• Added 500,000 gallon reservoir (cost of $10,690) and booster pump
• District hours of operation expanded to five days a week from 9 to12 noon and 1 – 5 p.m.
• Additional annexations of property

1950’s

• Post World War II brought the expansion of Mission Boulevard and Central Avenue. Water lines had to be moved with additional lines and a reservoir constructed.
• Purchased lot north of the office; gave land to the Monte Vista County Fire Department south of the office for use as a fire station.
• Bond Election for $1 million for improvements – 500,000 gallon reservoir, a new well and pumping station. Results: 150 yes; 36 no.
• Purchased land on Grand Avenue between Monte Vista and Ramona for reservoir and pumping station
• Annexations of property.
• Chino Basin Municipal Water District established in 1953 (now the Inland Empire Utilities Agency). MVWD requested connection to the Metropolitan Water District at Monte Vista and Palo Verde Streets. Chino Basin Municipal Water District authorized connection at no charge.
• Purchased land for a booster site at the northwest corner of Palo Verde and Monte Vista
• Avenues (Plant 17) to use Colorado River water when needed.
• 7 employees on District payroll in 1954
• Purchased a well site on State St and Princeton and all facilities (two wells and three parcels of land) from the Limited Mutual Water Co.
• Purchased land on State Street and installed three steel reservoirs and a booster station
• Purchased Monte Antonio Irrigation Company, Century Water Company, Del Monte Irrigation Company and Palomares Irrigation Company, including a number of wells, property and a 500,000 gallon reservoir.
• City of Montclair incorporated 1956

1960’s

• Purchased well site; Total number of wells: 16
• Total number of connections: 6,000
• 16 people on the payroll in 1966
• Purchased a reconditioned Automatic Addressograph machine and a National Cash Register Utility Billing machine
• More Annexations
• Number of connections in 1964: 6,221
• Total Gallons Delivered: 1,615,463,500
  • Domestic Use: 1,451,609,400
  • Irrigation: 163,854,100
• Total Gallons Purchased
  • From MWD for irrigation 3,258,500
• Four new reservoirs constructed
• City of Montclair and District negotiated transfers and exchanges of properties held by both agencies
• Bruce Lance retained as legal counsel for a monthly fee of $75.00.
• Parcels quitclaimed: Claremont Orange Grove Tract, Sycamore Water Development Tract, Montclair Methodist Church, an area on Ramona south of Orchard and the College Heights Tract.

1970’s

• Developed Master Plan to deal with increasing levels of nitrates in the groundwater.
• Agreement signed with Chino Basin Municipal Water District regarding a lease of the Benson Avenue pipeline during August.
• Annexation of the South End
• Several quitclaim deeds and easements approved
• Admission into the Public Employees’ Retirement System approved
• With the passage of SB 90, District required to report amount of water pumped and pay $2.00 per acre foot
• Attorney hired to handle matters relating to the Chino Basin Adjudication
• State Street Plant shut down due to high nitrate levels; Central Ave. Plant required blending line from Benson Avenue connection
• Well 19 constructed at a cost of $98,000
• Water Conservation Program initiated
• Kennedy Engineering consultants, retained to study the issue of supplemental water, recommended the building of a treatment plant. Board directed the General Manager to secure land, determine costs and alternate methods of financing.
• Wells 20 and 21 were constructed at costs of $137,236 and $139,530.
• William Fieldman completed a study regarding the feasibility of the formation of a non-profit company and the board approved the formation of the Monte Vista County Water District Water Facilities Corporation. Board members were appointed.
• $2.25 million bond sale for the construction of reservoir 19 was successful.
• Contract for the construction of the 3 million gallon concrete reservoir was $1, 061,407

1980’s

• District’s service area is 7.25 square miles
  12 wells; 16 reservoirs with a total capacity of 14,208,730 gallon
  7,800 connections; 125.8 miles of installed pipeline
  25 employees
• The word “County” was omitted from the District’s name
• The District led the formation of the Joint Powers Agency (JPA) Capital Fund Program to develop a 30 million-gallon-a-day filtration plant to serve the West End.
• Dedication of George Reservoir, named in honor of Past Board President Jack George
• Purchased a new IBM System 34 computer for $74,000.
• Contract for construction of new building awarded for $545,516; Moved into new building 9/81
• 46 percent rate increase for inflation, increased power costs and a Health Mandate to construct a filtration plant for the West End.
• Application by residents of District to the Local Agency Formation Commission to become a subsidiary of the City of Montclair failed in 1981
• Initiated proceedings to annex parcels of property in the area known as Chino Hills
• Well 10 rehabilitated increasing yield from 800 gallons per minute to 1800 GPM.
• Other projects to reduce amount of Colorado River supply needed for blending
• Five-year Engineering and Fiscal Master Plan Adopted
• Pipeline replacement projects
• Annexation of Chino Hills dropped; MWD recommended a pipeline be built through the JPA
• Demolished two reservoirs at Plant 4 and authorized construction of a new 1.67 million gallon steel reservoir at the plant site for $253,555
• New building receives City of Montclair Beautification Award
• Received confirmation of $1.5 million loan from the Department of Water Resources for the proposed treatment plant
• Final agreements for the Water Facilities Authority-Joint Powers Agency were signed by the five participants: cities of Upland, Ontario, Chino, County of San Bernardino and Monte Vista Water District; Design contract awarded to James M. Montgomery
• District employees number 27
• 8,734 connections; 134.6 miles of pipeline
• Produced 9,183 acre feet
• Residents of the County area to the south being served by San Bernardino County Waterworks #8 requests to be annexed and have District provide service
• Only public agency in Southern California that reduced and balanced its budget and did not increase commodity rate
• WFA-JPA approved the funding to finance the water filtration plant. The bond issue in the amount of $34.7 million was sold on October 8, 1985 with the District’s proportionate share at $3.3 million.
• Water Treatment Plant named Agua de Lejos Treatment Plant
• Groundbreaking on August 8, 1986
• Purchase of land and construction of reservoir at Plant 18 at a cost of $549,720

1988

• Lease purchase for Annexation 21 was signed and forwarded to the Local Agency Formation Commission. Joint pipeline agreement was approved.

1989

• January 18, 1989 LAFCO approved the annexation of a portion of San
  Bernardino County Water Works #8
• Increased WFA bonded obligation by $89,212 to purchase 50 percent of the
  capacity in the 30” Ramona Feeder between Palo Verde and Philadephia
• June 30, 1989 Agua de Lejos Treatment Plant dedication
• Commodity Rate: $0.70 per 100 cubic feet of water
• October 16, 1989 Began service in annexed area of San Bernardino County Water Works #8

1990’s

• Peak demand: 14 million gallons per day
• Hydro generation facility on Arrow Highway given permission to operate
  by Southern California Edison
• Automated voice mail system and mobile telephones purchased
• Drought conditions reduced surface water deliveries to 10 percent of previous year’s deliveries. Groundwater supplies adequate to meet demand
• Commodity Rate: $0.74 per 100 cubic feet.
• Energy management projects (new pump on Well 5 and 15, 000 feet of pipeline)
  Resulted in rebate check for $48,371 from Southern California Edison
• New telemetry system purchased
• September 18, 1991 Hydro Generation Station dedicated
• September 25, 1991 Signed Memorandum of Understanding with California Urban Water Conservation Council

1993

• Property taxes from enterprise special districts shifted to schools.
  District impact: 35 percent or $161, 942.
  Three step water rate increase approved.
• Drought officially over according to Governor Pete Wilson

1995

• Discussions begin with Chino Basin Municipal Water District and other water agencies to implement conjunctive use for long-term storage programs.

1996

• Lease agreement between the District and the city of Chino Hills for 10 million gallons of water per day to be delivered via the Ramona Feeder
• First low flow toilet distribution.

1997

• Facilities Master Plan and accompanying Financial Master Plan developed for 30 year capital improvement program at a cost of $45 million

1998

• Long-term wholesale water agreement signed by MVWD and the city of Chino Hills for up to 22.2 MGD
• Pipeline replacement/relining project completed in Montclair area
• Five-year rate adjustment schedule adopted to support implementation of capital improvement projects and operating costs

1999

• Wells #26 and #27 constructed
• Purchased Palo Verde Reservoir from IEUA
• Purchased Monte Vista Irrigation Company
• Prepared for Y2K with upgrade of information systems and water system telemetry

2000’s

• Signatory to the Chino Basin Watermaster Peace Agreement for implementation of Optimum Basin Management Plan
• Plant 17 Nitrate Blending Station and pipeline construction project
• Information Systems Master Plan developed and implemented
• Well #28 constructed
• Chino Avenue infrastructure upgrades
• Purchase of property at Palo Verde and Benson for new facilities
• Received California Utilities Commission Grant to improve efficiency of motors and boosters following California energy crisis
• Operations building remodeled

2002-2003

• Street Feeder Project
• State Street and Ramona Ave. Metering Station
• Monte Vista Intertie Project (joint project with Chino Hills to increase ability to deliver additional water to Chino Hills)
• Received $100,000 grant from Proposition 13 to study feasibility of using injection wells for recharge
• Received $110,000 grant from California Public Utilities Commission to rehabilitate motors and boosters to increase efficiency
• Roswell/Philadelphia and Francis Ave. Pipeline Replacement Projects
• Information Systems Network Upgrade
• Maintenance building remodeled
• Received $115,000 EPA grant to conduct Vulnerability Assessment for security improvements