City Of Cupertino: City Council To Consider Options For The Continued Long Term Operations For Cupertino Municipal Water System On July 20

Press release from the City of Cupertino:

07/08/2021

Cupertino has three water service areas as shown on the map (click to view map). The orange area is owned and operated by San Jose Water Company (SJWC). The green area is owned and operated by California Water Service Company. The purple area is served by a water system owned by the City of Cupertino and operated by San Jose Water per a lease agreement executed in 1997. The current lease agreement is set to expire in September of 2022. On July 20, 2021, the City Council will consider options for the long term continued operation of the Cupertino Municipal Water System.

Options include executing a new long term lease, selling the Municipal Water System, or the City operates the system using it's own forces. Each option has unique challenges to be considered. Sale of Municipal Water Systems is heavily regulated, time consuming, and it is uncertain if an attempt to sell would be successful. City operation would require additional staffing and has the potential to increase cost to ratepayers. Therefore, staff is recommending the City begin the process to negotiate a new extended lease. A copy of the staff report will be posted when available.

This press release was produced by the City of Cupertino. The views expressed here are the author’s own.