The Montara Water & Sanitary District, formed in 1958 as a public agency, is responsible for maintaining approximately twenty-five miles of sewer line and thirteen pump stations. The sewage is pumped through a large intertie pipeline under Highway 1 to the sewage treatment plant located in Half Moon Bay.

In addition, the District manages the solid waste franchise with Recology of the Coast, which collects all trash and disposes of it properly in the landfill located near Half Moon Bay, as well as recycles the material placed in the recycling bins by each household.

In 1992, the District, through special State legislation, was granted the powers of a county water district. This was done in an effort to improve the water supply and service provided by the private water company serving the area then known as Citizens Utilities Company of California. August 1, 2003, the district acquired and began operating the water system.

District authorization and formation documents:

• MWSD Act establishing its formation: MWSD Ordinance No. 1 in 1958 is the first act of the District and sets forth the basic regulations, fees, and requirements for sanitary sewer systems in the District.

Mission, Vision, Values

Our Mission. To sensitively manage the natural resources entrusted to our care, to provide the people of Montara and Moss Beach with reliable, high-quality water, wastewater, and trash disposal services at an equitable price, and to ensure the fiscal and environmental vitality of the district for future generations.

Our Vision. Trusted and proven to cost-effectively provide our customers with the services they need.

Our Values. The District Board and staff are committed to and guided by the following core values in everything we do:

• To be trusted by the community
• Represent and serve our community
• Local control
• To provide quality services
• To be responsive to the community and its changing needs
• To be open and available to the public we serve
• To use customer funds sustainably

History

A little water system history from a Citizens Utilities document dated 11/97

Water service in this area was commenced in 1907 by subdividers to facilitate the sales of real estate. The water system properties were acquired by the Public Utilities California Corporation in 1928, which then changed names to Citizens Utilities Company of California in 1949. In 1950, Citizens sold its properties in the Half Moon Bay area and a portion of the properties in the Moss Beach area to Coastside County Water District. In 1958, CUCC acquired a water system from the Montara School District that was originally installed by the U. S. Navy in 1944.

Staff

Montara Water and Sanitary District is governed by a five member elected board of directors and staffed by 7 employees. The District staff is headed by the General Manager and organized into a number of divisions. Major activities of the district include:

• Customer support and administration: issuance of sewer and water connection permits, response to customer inquiries, rate studies, mapping, public information, information management, and more.
• Operations, including operations of the treatment plant, inspection, analysis cleaning and repair of the sewer system, Engineering design and related activities.
• Oversee solid waste franchise through Recology of the Coast.

If you have questions about our services or need help, please contact our office at:

Montara Water & Sanitary District
8888 Cabrillo Hwy., Montara, CA 94037
Regular Office Hours: 8AM - 5PM
Voice: (650) 728-3545 Fax: (650) 728-8556
Email: info@mwsd.net

Organizational Chart

Staff Compensation

Click here to view the State Controller's website for salaries and compensation for Board and Staff members of the Montara Water and Sanitary District.