Community celebrates regional effort for new water lines

Local dignitaries and members of the community joined the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (SGPWA) to celebrate the completion of new water lines in the High Valleys Water District (HVWD) with a ribbon cutting.

In January 2024, HVWD received Proposition 1 Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWM) grant funds through the Department of Water Resources (DWR). SGPWA provided nearly $1 million in gap funding to support the work.

Before this project, HVWD’s 12 customers shared access to outdated lines in a rural, fire-prone area. Now, both existing and incoming customers have access to reliable water delivery.

“With the completion of this critical project, High Valleys Water District has enhanced not only the community’s water supply but also advanced its fire safety and future growth potential,” said SGPWA Board President Mickey Valdivia. “This partnership, coupled with our gap funding support, ensures that High Valleys Water District is better equipped to serve its customers and protect their homes.”

“At our core, SGPWA is a system of systems. Regional collaboration is the bedrock of our success. If one community’s water system thrives, we all thrive,” SGPWA Board Treasurer and former Banning City Councilman Robert Ybarra said. “We are grateful to the City of Banning, Banning Heights Water District, High Valleys Water District, Cabazon Water District and Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District for working with us to create a vision for a more resilient and cost-effective water future.”

DWR financed the project as a result of the decade-long partnership between SGPWA, the City of Banning, Banning Heights Water District, HVWD, Cabazon Water District, and Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. These entities form the San Gorgonio Integrated Regional Water Management (SG IRWM) group specifically to bring DWR funding to the region.

Gap funding ensures water retailers can use state funding such as Proposition 1 IRWM grants, even when the retailers lack financial reserves to handle the up-front costs. In recent years, SGPWA has disbursed more than $8 million in gap funding to small water systems across the Pass area.