Where: Northern Tulare County
Problem: Seven disadvantaged communities lack a sustainable and affordable safe drinking water source.
Solution: RCAC is helping to develop a regional collaboration between the towns to build and operate a new water treatment plant.

Cutler, East Orosi, Monson, Orosi, Seville, Sultana and Yettem in Tulare County are similar to many other communities throughout rural California. All have aging infrastructure, and drought and water contamination are current or pending concerns. RCAC is working with the communities to form the Northern Tulare County Water Alliance in a regional effort that will develop long-term solutions to bring safe, sustainable and affordable water to these communities.

Regionalization is a strategy to create the economy of scale so that small water systems can be sustainable. Regionalization comes in many forms including traditional consolidation where multiple systems merge into one; or umbrella management organizations, Joint Powers Authorities or memorandums of understanding. All of these allow small systems to afford day-to-day operations and necessary upgrades. This strategy also often attracts more state and federal infrastructure funding. RCAC uses a flexible and proven facilitation framework and technical expertise to help communities form these regional collaborations.

The obstacles to collaboration are many, and often include old football rivalries. In Tulare County, they also include mistrust over the structure of the existing sewer district that serves all seven communities, but is controlled by only two, and a fear of a loss of identity.

The alliance will assess the various organizational options, create a governance structure, and identify the best alternative to address their common water quality issues.

For updates on the Northern Tulare regionalization go here >>