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Rule In New California Budget Could Force Water Company Mergers

John Chacon
/
California Department of Water Resources

A provision in the newest California budget could give the state the power to force mergers between small water providers and larger companies. A number of small central valley water utilities are facing dried up wells and dirty water due to the drought.

Many of the smallest water providers in the valley have just one well and lack the resources or customer base to continue to provide clean water.

Laurel Firestone with the Community Water Center says merging with bigger companies gives those communities a larger more durable water supply, especially during the drought.

“Larger water systems have many sources of water. They have multiple wells. Some of them have access to surface water. And they just have more diversified sources to pull from,” Firestone said.

Firestone says the rule is a step forward because previously it has been difficult to convince the larger companies to merge with smaller providers.

However, representatives with the large water providers say the state is overstepping its authority and that merger decision should be made on the local level.

Jeffrey Hess is a reporter and Morning Edition news host for Valley Public Radio. Jeffrey was born and raised in a small town in rural southeast Ohio. After graduating from Otterbein University in Columbus, Ohio with a communications degree, Jeffrey embarked on a radio career. After brief stops at stations in Ohio and Texas, and not so brief stops in Florida and Mississippi, Jeffrey and his new wife Shivon are happy to be part Valley Public Radio.
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