MEETING NOTES: Bakersfield water board discusses consolidation, annexation of failing water systems

Meeting: City of Bakersfield Water board of directors

Date: April 23, 2025

Agenda and Packet: CLICK HERE

Main Topic: Old River Mutual Water Company and South Kern Mutual Water Company Mandatory Consolidation

The Bakersfield Water Board held a special meeting the morning of April 23 to discuss a pending consolidation of two smaller, failing water systems south of Independence High School.

The State Division of Drinking Water issued a mandatory consolidation order for Bakersfield to take on the Old River and South Kern mutual water companies, which serve a combined 82 people.

Both water companies serve disadvantaged communities and have consistently failed to provide clean quality water for their communities.

Cost for the consolidation is expected to be $7.7 million but the state is expected to fully reimburse the city. Costs so far, including legal fees, engineering and consultant fees, have been paid by the state.

With a mandatory consolidation order now in place, the city is mulling whether to annex the two, disadvantaged communities.

“My position is no consolidation without annexation,” said council member Andrae Gonzales. “It’s really important that we not only address the issues with government code… I just feel fundamentally it is really poor public policy for us to deliver city services outside of the city limits. We need to consolidate, we need to bring in these areas that are underserved.”

Deputy City Attorney Matthew Collom, said the state mainly wants to see a solution to help the community and likely wouldn’t be concerned by the means employed by the city.

Council member Manpreet Kaur asked whether Kern County was consulted.

Collom said the city had reached out to the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) about annexing those areas, but that has been the main extent of those conversations. 

Kaur also asked that the board look to the future growth and expansion of the city when it came to making a solution for the consolidation.

There was no action taken at the meeting as it was informational only.

How to attend: City of Bakersfield Water Board typically meets every other Wednesday at 10 a.m.  in the Water Resources Building conference room on 1000 Buena Vista Road.