LAFCO Approves Merger Between EVMWD And EWD

to discuss the possible merger of Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District and Elsinore Water District. Nearly six months later, that merger is expected to go through.

Thursday morning the Riverside County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) approved a proposed plan to consolidate Elsinore Water District (EWD) into Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD).

During the December hearing, officials from both districts said studies showed that EWD customers would end up paying as much as 60 percent more for their water if the consolidation with the larger EVMWD didn’t go through.

“By joining EVMWD, existing funding resources, such as redevelopment funding, become available for improvements to the EWD system, allowing EVMWD to take on the improvements without increasing current customer rates in either district. As a result, current EWD customers can expect improved reliability and quality in water service as EVMWD takes on the $5.65 million in needed system upgrades,” an EVMWD news release stated Thursday.

The EWD serves about 1,500 customers in the Country Club Heights development north of the downtown Lake Elsinore area and part of Lakeland Village on the south side of the lake. EVMWD, meanwhile, has more than 40,000 customers and serves the rest of Lake Elsinore and Wildomar.

EWD customers will be charged the same rates as EVMWD customers, the news release stated. 

The Board of Directors for both EVMWD and EWD supported the proposal to merge the two agencies, according to the news releases. For the next two years, the current EWD board will become an Advisory Committee to the EVMWD Board to oversee the improvements needed to EWD’s current system.

EVMWD plans to offer employment opportunities to all EWD staff with similar positions based on their qualifications, at salaries at least equal to their existing EWD salaries, the news release stated.

While LAFCO voted to approve the merger on Thursday, the decision will not become final until after LAFCO holds a protest hearing in early July in which the public can weigh in on the consolidation.