IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Two water districts in Southwest Riverside County are considering assuming control of an undercover private utility in order to provide service to a small community between two cities.
The governing boards of the Elsinore Valley and Eastern Municipal Water Districts held their first-ever joint meeting Monday, in which they discussed the possible takeover of the County Water Company of Riverside, according to a published report.
That company provides water to approximately 140 households that are sandwiched between Wildomar and Menifee, meaning they aren’t within the jurisdiction of either water district.
Most of Monday’s meeting happened in private.
Residents of the neighborhood north of Bundy Canyon Road have for years had to deal with undrinkable tap water and occasionally no running water at all from County Water Company, which is one of the few private water utilities operating in California, according to the report.
Officials with both water districts have tentatively reached an agreement to divide the service area along the border of the two cities and work together to get water lines into the community, according to the report.
The move carries some risk because both districts would be legally responsible for water service in the community, meaning either could be sued if something goes wrong. Any final agreement must be approved by the private utility and the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, according to the report.
