Bill Cooper clearly deserves to be re-elected to the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency board of directors. He has capably served on the SCV Water Agency and its predecessor, the Castaic Lake Water Agency, boards of directors for 27 years, including five years as CLWA president. During his terms of office, he has been instrumental in overseeing the following notable actions, projects and programs that have expanded and protected the SCV’s water sources, enhanced dry-year reliability of the SCV’s water supply portfolio and timely implemented capital improvements to dependably meet demands of a growing population:
• Purchased Santa Clarita Water Co. and Valencia Water Co., and then merged CLWA with Newhall County Water District, thus consolidating local water suppliers into one entity to boost cost-effectiveness and service reliability.
• Acquired more than 50,000 acre-feet per year of additional imported water, more than doubling our imported water supplies to meet city and county General Plan growth projections,
• Secured up to $160 million from the Whittaker-Bermite site owners to remediate groundwater contamination to the benefit of both our community and environment.
• Initiated recycled water service in the SCV, the one source of supply that will continue to grow.
• Expanded both local imported water treatment plants to maintain reliable water service to SCV customers.
• Instituted a number of water banking programs that are currently being used to offset shortages in other supply sources due to the ongoing unprecedented drought.
• Implemented an innovative – and award winning – program to build and operate treatment facilities for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination of certain wells, yet again ensuring our groundwater supply is protected.
In addition, Bill advocated for leasing CLWA-owned property to the city of Santa Clarita that was subsequently transformed into Central Park, the crown jewel of the city’s park system. This historic accomplishment not only resulted in creation of a five-star recreational venue, it also was the first major collaboration between the two public agencies, which have since developed a robust partnership that most optimally serves our community.
Bill’s extensive water industry experience and expertise were developed well before he became a director as a result of his 40-year career with Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the largest water agency in the world. When he retired as water treatment section manager overseeing all MWD treatment plants, he had accumulated a real-life water resource and technology education unsurpassed by any school or university, which made him ideally suited to serve on the CLWA and SCVWA boards.
Bill has been a key contributor in the management and stewardship of the Santa Clarita Valley’s water resources for almost 30 years. His exemplary track record at work and as a director has made him uniquely qualified to continue establishing sound water policies and overseeing cost-effective and efficient water resource programs and projects. Re-electing Bill is more imperative than ever to ensure SCVWA continues to meet the increasingly complicated challenges of providing a cost-effective, reliable and safe water supply to our community. I urge all Division 1 voters to cast their ballot for Bill. He deserves it and, more important, we deserve it.
Dan Masnada
Castaic Lake Water Agency
General Manager, 2002-2015
