The Pine Valley Mutual Water Company is located in San Diego County and serves the small rural water community of Pine Valley.
The only drinking water source for the Pine Valley MWC is groundwater from 10 production wells located throughout the Mutual’s service area. Seven of the 10 wells are either adjacent to or within town, while the other three (Well No. 4, No. 6 and No. 7) are located in the meadow near Pine Valley Creek. All of the wells produce water from the fractured rock system of the Descanso hydrologic sub-area in the Sweetwater Hydrologic Unit. The land use for the area is mixed rural residential, and some lots are zoned for light animal/livestock.
The Pine Valley Mutual Water Company serves water to approximately 550 currently developed acres. The service area elevations range between 3,700 to 4,000 feet above sea level. Pine Valley has typically been a seasonal vacation area but is gradually becoming a bedroom community of San Diego. The water supply system currently has 691 metered customers and serves an approximate permanent population of 1,500 with a maximum seasonal population of around 2,500.
In the summer of 1989 the Company implemented a mandatory water conservation program. At this time the Company’s water sources consisted of wells #1, #2, #4, #5, #6, & #7 with a total pumping capacity of approximately 200 gallons per minute. In the following years the Company added well sources #3, #8, #9 & #10 resulting in an increase of 400 percent production capabilities. In December, 1992 the California Department of Health Services recommended the Water Company be allowed to add new services not to exceed 790 connections. Most of the service connections are to residences, but the water system also serves a gas station, a motel, some restaurants, and a small business complex. The sources of water supply are 10 wells of which 2 are currently inactive (wells #2 & #8). In 1999 these two (2) wells were classified as stand-by wells and were only to be used in emergency situations. This was as a result of MTBE soil contamination at the site of the old Texaco gas station. As of 2008 these wells have never been needed for emergency situations.
The Water Company has a valid domestic water permit authorized by the Department of Health Services of the State of California. The total potential water production from the eight (8) active wells can vary seasonally and annually from a minimum of 600 gallons per minute to a maximum of 1000 gallons per minute. The existing water system provides water for domestic and fire protections purposes, and contains four (4) steel storage tanks ranging in size from 300,000 gallons up to 500,000 gallons. The total water storage capacity is 1,757,000 gallons for the three (3) pressure zones.