The current water treatment and distribution system serves 205 customers within the Westhaven community. Our water comes from 3 springs located at the headwaters of Two Creeks and two 100-ft deep wells located at the end of 4th Avenue.  The springs have been the source of water for Westhaven since 1916. One well has been in service since 1994 and the two additional wells are coming on line in 2024-25.

Currently well water is disinfected and distributed, while spring water is collected and filtered through a slow sand filter, treated for disinfection and stored in two 100,000 gallon tanks prior to distribution. The slow sand filter was constructed in 1993 and has been rebuilt many times throughout its service life. Slow sand filters are a reliable treatment method but our system cannot keep up with current demand and current drinking water standards.

Once water leaves the tank it is delivered to our customers through a series of 7.5 miles of waterlines, some of which are pressurized to reach the residents in the northern and higher parts of the system, and the rest gravity fed.

WCSD is required by law to provide water that meets minimum health standards.

On April 15, 2010, we were informed by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) that we were in violation of the Maximum Contaminant Level standard (MCL) for Haloacetic Acids (HAAs) in the drinking water. This is a Tier 2 violation, less severe than a Tier 1 violation, and does not constitute a public health emergency. Nonetheless, it signified a problem that must be addressed.

HAAs, along with Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), are known as Disinfection By-Products (DBPs), which are formed when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic compounds in the source water. Chlorine is added to drinking water to remove disease-causing pathogens that may be present in untreated surface water. Generally speaking, our DBP levels are higher in the winter months because the source of the precursors is the natural forest litter and stream biota, which are dissolved in the water at higher levels when it is raining.

In 2017, the State of California issued WCSD a Compliance Order with respect to its repeated violation of MCLs for DBPs. The District has sought many extensions from the state while we have investigated feasible and cost-effective  alternatives for treating our water.

The decision to develop a new treatment plant included exploration of various alternatives that might also allow WCSD to come into compliance with DBP drinking water standards. These alternatives included the following:

1)    Do nothing – under this alternative the State would assume control of our water system and would require us to consolidate with other water systems.

2)   Consolidate with other water systems:

·        Connect to City of Trinidad - Trinidad operates a standard water treatment plant that gets water from Luffenholtz Creek. They do not have the capacity or desire to supply water to Westhaven, which is outside their service area.

·        Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District (HMBWD) - much of the Humboldt Bay area receives water from the Mad River via HBMWD.  Extension of their mainline to the Trinidad/Westhaven area could supply Westhaven with treated drinking water far beyond our current need, but cost of such an extension and the requirement for long-term payment for HBMWD water preclude this option.

3)    Find a new source of water – the District has explored development of additional groundwater wells for a primary source of supply, but none of the available wells have adequate production to satisfy the District’s needs.

The District found none of these alternatives to be feasible.  Therefore, the District elected to pursue design, development and funding for a new water treatment plant. 

The source of Westhaven’s water will remain the same for the new water treatment plant. The mixing of well water and spring water in parallel with a modern treatment process will reduce DBPs to safe levels. The new plant will also allow us to treat more of the water that we have available. This modest increase of capacity will allow the District to add some new Westhaven customers who have residences within District boundaries and constructed prior to formation of the District. This modest expansion of WCSD water services would not support new development, although new development could certainly be generated from new construction of ADUs on existing developed parcels.

The new treatment plant will be located on land owned by the WCSD that is designated as public. Public lands can be used for essential services including construction of community wells, water storage tanks and water treatment facilities.

The District owns the 20 acre parcel where the surface water sources (Two Creeks springs) are located and where current treatment and distribution is carried out. To accommodate the new treatment plant, approximately 1 acre of land will be needed to house the new treatment building, offices and storage tank. Because the water sources will remain the same, and the existing slow sand filter and storage tanks will remain in use, the new facilities need to be located adjacent to the existing water system infrastructure.  To minimize tree removal and new road construction, the new treatment plant will be located on the existing access road next to the existing operations buildings. Mitigation for tree removal and other construction-related environmental impacts includes the purchase of an adjacent 2-2.25 acre parcel that includes many large redwoods and will be preserved in perpetuity. To see a map of the District's lands, the adjacent 2-2.25 acre , and the proposed treatment plant location, click here. To view renderings of the proposed treatment plant and associated facilities, click here

Loans and Grants from the State of California provide much of the funds that WCSD uses for repairs and upgrades. Grants do not require repayment and save the customers money by not passing significant repayment costs (from loans) to our water bills.

In 2013 the District was awarded a grant to investigate possible treatments for removal of disinfection byproducts (DBPs). These early investigations did not produce a successful and cost-efficient strategy for reduction of DBPs.

In 2020 we were awarded a Department of Water Resources (DWR) Financial Assistant Grant to drill additional wells and conduct pilot studies for the design of a new treatment plant. These pilot studies were successful in identification of a cost-effective treatment process, but also identified the need for a new treatment plant to implement the new treatment process.

In 2023 WCSD received a grant for approximately $13,000,000 to cover costs of  construction of the new treatment plant, with the goal of providing our customers safe drinking water for the next 30 to 50 years. Because the State is fully funding the treatment plant project, the multi-million dollar construction cost will not be passed on to our customers. However, running the plant will require a modest increase in staff and equipment operation and maintenance time, therefore modestly increasing our water rates.

In consultation with CDFW CalFire and our contracted biologists and environmental planners, WCSD has concluded that a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) is appropriate for construction and operation of our proposed treatment plant. Click here for a brief Summary of the MND. The full August 2024 draft MND environmental document is posted here. Public comments may be submitted by email, with subject line "Public Comment: Treatment Plant MND", to wcsd@suddenlink.com , from August 15 through September 16, 2024.

1968 Westhaven Mutual Water Company (WMWC) incorporates and begins selling water shares. WMWC Improves the first reservoir and constructs a second reservoir. Installs new distribution system.

1973 Westhaven and Trinidad Residents vote and reject annexation to Humboldt Bay Water District

1974 Safe Drinking Water Act enacted by Congress establishing national drinking water standards

1978 CA Department of Health Services issues report detailing deficiencies of WWMC systems and recommendations to bring system into compliance with State and Federal regulations

1987 Westhaven Community Services District (WCSD), a public agency eligible for state grants and low-interest loan funding, is formed. WCSD assumes the operations of WMWC and the 20-acre parcel where the source water and facilities are located.

1989-1992 Exploration of alternative water sources

1990-1993 WCSD implements the following improvements to come into compliance with Surface Water Treatment Rule: Rehabilitation of storage tanks, installation of disinfection equipment, upgrade transmission mains, develop spring collection, and construction of sand filtration facility.

1994 Development of 4th Avenue well.

2003 All services in the district have meters and now billing is based on water usage.

2017 State water Resources Control Board issues Compliance Order for exceeding Disinfection Byproduct (DBP) levels dating back to 2006. The District must provide public notification and comply with drinking water standards.

2020-2021 Pilot studies conducted for water treatment alternatives

2023 Additional wells are explored. Two new viable wells are drilled adjacent to the existing 4th Avenue well

2024 Funding received for design and construction of a new water treatment plant on the District’s 20-acre parcel.