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 The
Early Years
The community Mesa Consolidated
Water District ( Mesa) is located in and proudly serves,
was established on what is known as the “coastal tableland” in
about 1906. At that time, the city of Costa Mesa
was known as Harper. Only a few years earlier, severe
drought had driven most of the original farming families
away.
The Water Begins to Flow
The La Habra Valley Land and Water Company built
the first water system in the area and drilled the
very first well in 1910, bringing much needed water
to the parched community. In 1913 the Fairview Farms
Mutual Water Company constructed a system to be used
for agricultural purposes and in 1918 the Newport
Heights Irrigation District was formed to serve domestic
and irrigation water. These two agencies later acquired
the facilities of the La Habra Water Company.
The Growth of a Community
Because of the continued growth in the early 1900s,
the Newport Mesa Irrigation District and the Santa
Ana Heights Water Company were created to meet the
demand of the booming community. Years later, two
of the agencies renamed themselves. The Fairview
Farms Mutual Water Company became the Fairview County
Water District and Newport Heights Irrigation District
became the Newport Mesa County Water District.
The Historical Merger
In 1953, the city of Costa Mesa became an incorporated
city and in 1955, it created a municipal water system
to serve the areas beyond the four existing district
boundaries.
On June 30, 1959, the Governor of California, Edmund
Gerald “Pat” Brown, Sr. signed Senate
Bill 1375 (Costa Mesa District Merger Law). On January
1, 1960, Mesa (formerly known as the Costa Mesa County
Water District) commenced operations by acquiring
the assets and obligations and assumed the responsibility
of consolidating the city of Costa Mesa's Water Department,
Fairview County Water District, Newport Heights Irrigation
District, and Newport Mesa County Water District.
The Santa Ana Heights Water Company was originally
involved in merger discussions, but withdrew before
consolidation.
Mesa set a precedent with this merger as the first
California water agency to consolidate two or more
water agencies and assume both their assets and debts.
The Service Area
Mesa Consolidated Water District provides water
service to more than 110,000 customers in an 18 square
mile area. The service area includes the City of
Costa Mesa, parts of Newport Beach, and some unincorporated
sections of Orange County, including the John Wayne
Airport.
The Board of Directors
Mesa is governed by a five-member Board of Directors.
The service area is divided into five divisions.
One individual from each division is publicly elected
to serve a four-year term as a Director.
The Source
Mesa’s water
is a blend of local ground water and imported water
from Northern California and the Colorado River.
From Mesa’s nine wells, groundwater
is pumped from Orange County’s groundwater
basin which underlies north-central Orange County
from Irvine to the Los Angeles County border and
from Yorba Linda to the Pacific Ocean. It is replenished
by water from the Santa Ana River and imported water
purchased from the Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California.
Beginning in the early ‘80s, Mesa became the
first water purveyor in Orange County to treat and
distribute colored water. In January 2001, Mesa opened
its model Colored Water Treatment Facility and has
effectively reduced the district’s reliance
on costly imported water. The facility produces and
treats groundwater at a rate of 4,000 gallons per
minute.
The Mission
Dedicated to Satisfying
Our Community’s Water
Needs
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