West Kern Water District
West Kern Water District is a county water district located in southwestern Kern County, California. The District was formed by election in 1959 and encompasses a roughly 300 square mile area with approximately 7,600 metered accounts serving the cities of Taft, Maricopa and surrounding westside communities. The District provides water to municipal and a variety of commercial and industrial customers.
West Kern’s mission is “to provide it customers a reliable supply of excellent quality water in a planned, efficient, cost effective and environmentally responsible manner, while promoting public awareness of water issues“
Water Supply
The District contracts with the Kern County Water Agency to receive 31,500 acre-feet of water annually from the State Water Project. This represents the maximum amount the District can request in a given year. The actual amount delivered is determined annually by the Department of Water Resources. Most of the District’s annual State Water Project supply is used to replenish the groundwater basin in the vicinity of its well fields where it is recovered and delivered with minimal treatment to customers. Only a small amount is delivered directly from the California Aqueduct for industrial use. West Kern maintains a positive banked water balance which allows it to meet in-district demands in dry years.
Management
West Kern Water District is governed by a five member Board of Directors that meets monthly. The General Manager reports directly to the Board of Directors and manages day-to-day operations of the District with support provided by administrative, operations and finance department staff.
