Our History
Our Water System History and Description
Distribution System Elements
The initial distribution system consisted of the following: elements:
- 91,570 lineal feet of pipelines consisting of 4", 6" and 8" diameter.
- 38 Fire hydrants for the initial construction.
- 6 Booster pumps of 50 GMP at 90 psig capacity.
- 99 Segregation valves of 4", 6", and 8" size.
- One 100,000-gallon reservoir and controls.
- 50 Air and vacuum release valves.
- 5 Pressure reducing stations.
- 1 Well pump of 50 GPM at 310 psig capacity.
- Electrical supply and controls.
Formation and Water Well History
Juniper-Riviera County Water District was formed in 1979 and is headquartered in Apple Valley, California. The district encompasses approximately ten square miles in the southwestern part of San Bernardino County. It is one of the many water systems within the Mojave Water Agency (MWA) boundaries. The district currently has 280 water service connections with a population of approximately 924 and obtains its water from three groundwater wells. Our Well #1 was drilled by Howard Pump, Inc., and completed work on Tuesday, August 22, 1972. The static water table was measured at 497 feet, with the depth of the well terminating in hard green clay at 757 feet. Testing would yield 190 GPM after 24 hours with a drawdown to 568 feet. Well #2 was drilled by McCalla Bros., and completed work on Tuesday, August 19, 1980. The static water table was measured at 554 feet, with the depth of the well terminating 988 feet. Testing would yield 33 GPM after 72 hours with a drawdown to 554 feet. Well #2 can achieve a flow of 50 GPM but is only operated for about two hours each day. Well #3 was drilled by Harich Enterprises, Inc., and completed work on Tuesday, May 13, 2008. The static water table was measured at 491 feet, with the depth of the well terminating 800 feet. Testing would yield 129 GPM after 16 hours with a drawdown to 554 feet. Well #3 is available to the District for emergency use only owing to high arsenic and fluoride content.
Water pipelines and Water Storage Tanks
The district has approximately 22 miles of distribution pipelines. The system consists of three bolted steel tanks located at three separate locations and at different elevations: A 75,000-gallon tank (Tank #3; elevation - 4,338 feet), A 50,000-gallon tank (Tank #2; elevation - 3,915 feet) and another 50,000-gallon tank (Tank #1 is 3,715 feet) for a total system capacity of 175,000 gallons. Tanks #1 and #2 are also equipped with booster pumps – one duty and one standby. All tanks have common inlet and outlet pipes and are not equipped with mixers. The entire system is operated and monitored using a central SCADA system. Each storage tank supplies water to one of the three pressure zones varying in elevation from 3,300 feet to 4,300 feet and separated from the others by two pressure regulating valves (PRV). The district’s groundwater wells, and booster pumps are operated based on water levels in tanks, and time-of-use (TOU) to minimize electricity cost.
Juniper Riviera County Water District's Utilities: A Pictorial Guide to Our Services
