How Much Employees In The Alameda County Water District Earn

The Alameda County Water District has the 13th highest average employee salary among the 1,504 special districts listed in a new public pay study.

The state Controller's Office has put the 2011 salary and benefits information on a website. It details city, county and special district payrolls.

The average salary for special districts across California was $54,468 a year. The annual salary in the Alameda County Water District was $99,792.

Here's an overview of some of those numbers.

Here's the top 10 wage earners in the Alameda County Water District for 2011. The employees are listed by position only.

The salaries include regular pay, overtime, lump sums and other payments. The benefits and pension are what the district contributed to the employee's plan.

Walt Wadlow, general manager for the district, said the agency's employees are highly skilled, technical workers. They include biologists, engineers and geologists.

Those workers are responsible for delivering safe drinking water to the 331,000 people who live in the district. They're also responsible for 860 miles of distribution pipeline.

"We have to have compensation that is competitive to attract qualified workers," said Wadlow.

He noted the district also is responsible for maintaining sufficient water pressure so firefighters can do their job in the event of a fire.