Idyllwild Water District’s Mission Statement: To provide reliable water and sewer service in a safe, cost-effective and environmentally sound manner in accordance with the community needs.

Besides Idyllwild School facilities, the Idyllwild Community Playground is one of the most used recreational sites in town. It meets some of the community’s needs.

The community needs the Idyllwild Community Center built to provide more recreational facilities for the towns in this area.

Phase 1 groundbreaking is planned for September. But ICC cannot be built without a good and reliable source of water.

IWD just decided to remain in Water Conservation Stage 2 and continue not to issue any new water meters.

That creates a giant hurdle for the community in regards to the center.

Yet, if IWD decides to be conciliatory and make an exception for ICC, it will find itself between a rock and a hard place with those customers waiting to build their homes.

Right now, many empty-lot owners in the district pay yearly standby fees to IWD, waiting for the day when water meters again will be issued.

An empty-lot owner wishing to sell finds him or herself with an undesirable piece of property without water meters being issued.

IWD forced conservation on its consumers by cutting in half the minimum amout of water it would supply to each business/residence. Though its reservoir, Foster Lake, remains practically dry, IWD is not in danger of being unable to serve new customers.

IWD is acting as a planning and zoning governmental body vs. a water utility with a goal of meeting community needs.

Becky Clark, Editor