Who We Are

Representing Your Voice Since 2003

Click here to see a short video about BAWSCA, the results it has achieved for its member agencies and their water customers over the past 20-years, and its ongoing efforts to ensure the region’s reliable supply of high-quality water at a fair price.

Who We Are

The Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) was created on May 27, 2003 to represent the interests of 24 cities and water districts, a university, and an investor-owned utility company, in Alameda, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties that purchase water on a wholesale basis from the San Francisco Regional Water System.

BAWSCA was enabled by AB 2058 (Authors: Assembly members Louis Papan, John Dutra and Joe Simitian). The Legislature’s overwhelming support for the bill demonstrated the state’s recognition of the need for local government to protect the health, safety and economic well-being of 1.8 million  people, and over 40,000 businesses and community organizations in the three counties.

BAWSCA is the only entity having the authority to directly represent the needs of the cities, water districts and private utilities (wholesale customers) that depend on the regional water system. BAWSCA provides the ability for the customers of the regional system to work with San Francisco on an equal basis to ensure the water system gets fixed, and to collectively and efficiently meet local responsibilities.  BAWSCA is also the only entity having the authority to perform regional water supply reliability planning for its member agencies.
 

Goals

BAWSCA’s goal is to ensure:

• a reliable water supply of
• high-quality water at
• a fair price

Authorities

BAWSCA has the authority to coordinate water conservation, supply and recycling activities for its agencies; acquire water and make it available to other agencies on a wholesale basis; finance projects, including improvements to the regional water system; and build facilities jointly with other local public agencies or on its own to carry out the agency’s purposes.

Governance

BAWSCA is governed by a 26-member Board of Directors comprised of respected community leaders representing the 24 cities and water districts that are member agencies of BAWSCA, and two utilities (one private, one investor-owned) that also have appointees to the board, Stanford University and California Water Service Company.

Challenges

BAWSCA’s member agencies jointly face significant challenges over the next 25 years:

1. Maintaining water supply reliability in the face of uncertain climate change effects and regulatory constraints on the regional water system
2. Ensuring continued infrastructure investment and maintenance in the Regional Water System and in member agency water systems to maintain quality and reliability and affordability
3. Finding infrastructure solutions that support underlying economic and demographic trends in the region, including regional housing development and a dynamic, evolving economy
4. Working in partnership with other regional entities (e.g. wastewater, stormwater, groundwater, coastal protection) on initiatives that provide shared benefits