News release
Dan Masnada has announced his candidacy for Division 1 of the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency board of directors in the November 2024 election.
Masnada is the former general manager of the Castaic Lake Water Agency, the predecessor of SCV Water.
“His 14-year career with CLWA in combination with prior employment as managing director and vice president of Valencia Water Co. (now SCV Water’s Valencia Water Division) has provided him an all-encompassing water resources management and technical background with a comprehensive knowledge of all SCV sources of water supply,” said a news release from Masnada’s campaign.
The release said Masnada is running for the SCV Water board because he strongly desires to give back to the community where he began his water career and first called home in 1983. “Water supply management has become increasingly complex due to climate change and drought, identification of previously undetected groundwater contaminants, and the use of more sophisticated technology to better manage and conserve water,” Masnada said in the release. “Also, the cost of water utility service has increased due to the higher cost of developing new sources of water supply and the need for water banking programs to boost supply reliability during dry years.”
“I am committed to utilizing my water expertise and qualifications to work cooperatively with the other directors to meet the agency’s mission, support staff in its efforts to achieve the agency’s goals and objectives and enhance the agency’s ability to continue providing SCV residents and businesses cost-effective, reliable and safe water,” Masnada added. “As a director, I will strongly advocate for drought-proofing our water supply, minimizing rate increases by pursuing cost-effective and efficient operations and ensuring that new development fully pays its share of water supply costs.”
Prior to joining CLWA, Masnada was the first executive director of the Central Coast Water Authority. There he oversaw construction of regional water treatment and conveyance facilities that deliver State Water Project water to 25 cities, water districts and other entities in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties as well as the formation and staffing of the organization that operates and maintains the facilities.
Before his CCWA employment, Masnada worked at the Valencia Water Co., where he developed his knowledge of the local groundwater resources and served as an appointed director on the CLWA board. During this time, he developed an in-depth understanding of CLWA’s role as a wholesale SWP water supplier and established robust professional relationships with the other three water retailers serving the SCV, the release said.
In addition to CLWA and Valencia Water, he has served on the boards of the State Water Contractors and the State Water Project Contractors Authority. He has also served on the SCV Chamber of Commerce board.
From January 2019 to December 2022, he was on the city of Santa Clarita Planning Commission, chairing the commission for a year and a half of his four-year term. He was recently appointed to the College of the Canyons Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee where he will be utilizing his public financing expertise to ensure bond proceeds are expended strictly for purposes authorized by law, the release said.
Dan and his wife, Carol, live in Valencia. He is a California Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering and has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Santa Clara University and Stanford University, respectively.
