Many homes and businesses in the Crescenta Valley have service provided by the Crescenta Valley Water District (CVWD). Long considered a neighborhood resource, CVWD takes very seriously its role of providing water and related services to the Crescenta Valley and works hard to keep customer costs as low as possible.

“In FY 2024-25, CVWD imported 44% of its water from the Colorado River and the State Water Project, while 56% of the water was locally sourced. Imported water relies on infrastructure from Northern California and the Colorado River, which is very costly, and that cost is expected to increase by 22%-40%-plus over the next two years,” said Arminé Sargsyan, senior water resources and external affairs specialist, CVWD. “To offset the costs, CVWD pre-purchased imported water earlier this year from MWD, in effect making water more affordable for ratepayers in the long run. Additionally, the District, in partnership with a local non-profit, the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy, constructed its first stormwater project at the Rosemont Preserve last year, saving water from flowing out to the ocean. The District plans on expanding its stormwater capture portfolio in the coming year to combat rising costs of imported water and to increase its reliability on local groundwater resources. 

“So, local water is important from an economic standpoint. Local control is also important. For example, the District is pursuing in-house pipeline (as opposed to contracted work) to provide more economical service. Another example is the District’s commitment to removing contaminants like PFAS from the water beyond state and federal regulatory requirements. Ultimately, we believe that these kinds of decisions allowed by local autonomy best serve the public interest.”

Sargsyan acknowledged that being a local water provider can be challenging.

“There are numerous aspects to being a local water provider. CVWD manages the costs of imported water, limited resources for infrastructure repair, aging pipeline, and other funding gap needed for infrastructure repairs and available funds,” she said. “There is great focus on emergency preparedness, whether for fires or earthquakes, and there is great effort on everything from local tabletop exercises among local agencies to influencing legislation in Sacramento to further common-sense solutions and policies. There are challenges with limited resources and also the community understanding the complexity of best serving the public. It is ultimately important for the community we serve to understand and/or appreciate what goes into providing the service, and the educational component of the effort is a significant challenge and opportunity. The CVWD team has developed a very active and robust public outreach program over the last couple of years. Thank you for creating this space to continue sharing the value of safe, reliable water and wastewater services.”

Getting out their messages regarding water safety, the various programs it hosts, like the Everbridge Alert Program and WaterSmart program, are important goals of the District. 

“The District communicates with customers via social media, e-blasts, door hangers, phone calls, office hours and bill inserts. That all said, the most reliable and consistent forum is the local paper, which pairs well with the emphasis on local water and wastewater delivery. Community focus, benefit and value are mission-centric for both the CV Weekly and CVWD. CV Weekly is a trusted source for news and a pillar of the community, ensuring that critical information reaches everyone, and CVWD is grateful for such a presence along the Foothills community.”