Chronology of Significant Events

YearEvent(s)
1914ACWD organized - The first District founded under the Caminetti Bill (County Water District Act of 1913)
1930Purchase of the Alvarado Pumping Station from EBMUD places ACWD in the Water Distribution business
1938Purchase of Irvington Water System
1939Purchase of Centerville Water System
1940Purchase of Gallegos (Mission San Jose) Water System
1949Filed for rights for surplus water from Alameda Creek
1951Mission San Jose area annexed
1956$4,290,000 Improvement District No1 Bond issue approved for distribution system improvements
1958Office Center opened on Fremont Boulevard
1961ACWD signed contract with the Department of Water Resources for State Project Water
1962First delivery of State Water Project water from South Bay Aqueduct (ACWD was the first contractor to receive water from the State Water Project)
1963Seven (VII) Hills annexation
1964Contract with San Francisco for Hetch Hetchy water supply
$4,950,000 Improvement District No 3 Bond issue approved for distribution system improvements
1967Appian Tank completed
1971Manuel J Bernardo Softening Plant placed in operation to soften ground water supply
Voters mandate fluoridation of water
1972Rubber Dam No 1 installed to increase groundwater recharge capacity (This was the first such installation in the United States, and also the world’s largest inflatable dam) Army Corps of Engineers completed widening and straightening of Alameda Creek allowing for a larger percolation area for the groundwater supply and providing a channel to the Bay for heavy storm water discharge
Alameda Reservoir completed
1973$2,850,000 Improvement District No 5 Bond issue approved for acquisition of Citizens Utilities Company (CUC), Niles-Decoto system, and other systems
California Department of Fish and Game institutes regularly scheduled stocking of Alameda Creek with trout
1974Aquifer Reclamation Program started in order to remove saltwater from the groundwater basin
1976Mission San Jose Water Treatment Plant placed in operation to treat State Project water for distribution system use
Agreements with East Bay Regional Park District, Alameda County Flood Control and City of Fremont establish recreational areas along Alameda Creek and Percolation Ponds
New Chemistry Laboratory building constructed to provide facilities for testing water quality to meet federal and state standards
Rubber Dam No 2 installed
1977Water Shortage Emergency declared Voluntary water rationing adopted
1979Hidden Valley tank completed
1981Improvement District No 5 (formerly CUC) system major improvements completed
1982First group of wells drilled to prevent saltwater intrusion as part of Salinity Barrier Program
198425 year contract signed with San Francisco Water Department
1985New Office / Operations Center constructed at South Grimmer Boulevard site
198621 Million Gallon, MP Whitfield Reservoir completed
1987District Twenty Five Year Capital Improvement Program adopted
Vineyard Heights Tank completed
1988First phase of District telemetry (SCADA) system installation completed
1989Rubber Dam No 3 constructed to increase groundwater recharge
CHP takes administrative action declaring Niles Canyon Road off limits to vehicles carrying hazardous materials
1990Alameda Creek Watershed Environmental survey completed
Pits T-1 and T-2 recharge facilities purchased
1991$30,000,000 Construction contract for Water Treatment Plant No 2 was awarded
Water Shortage Emergency declared, Drought Management Program adopted
1992Blending begins, combining groundwater and San Francisco water supplies to provide a more uniform, lower hardness water supply
Purchase of Pit H recharge facility finalized, completing the land acquisition for the Quarry Lakes Groundwater Recharge and Recreational Area
Automated Water Quality Monitoring Station installed on Alameda Creek
$24,330,000 in Certificates of Participation for capital facilities financing issued
1993Water Treatment Plant No 2 opened, 28 million gallon capacity (hydroelectric generation, ozone disinfection and mechanical solids dewatering included) Drought Management Program rescinded
1994Distribution System Water Quality Monitoring Sampling Stations installed at 44 above ground and 88 below ground locations
1995$22,200,000 in Certificates of Participation for capital facilities financing issued
Integrated Resources Plan adopted
1996Avalon Tank completed
1997Rehabilitation of Quarry Pits
1998Blending / Chemical Storage and Handling Facility put online
2003Newark Desalination Facility put online
2005New Water Quality Lab completed
2008First fish screens constructed on Alameda Creek
2009Rubber Dam No. 2 removed, fishway installed
2010Newark Desalination Facility expanded
2014Water shortage emergency declared
2016Water shortage emergency ordinance rescinded
ACWD became the Groundwater Sustainability Agency for the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin

2018
Groundbreaking of Rubber Dam No. 3 Fishway Construction Project

2019
The Department of Water Resources approved ACWD’s Alternative to a Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin
Completion of the Rubber Dam No. 3 Fish ladder
Groundbreaking of Rubber Dam No. 1 & Flood Control Drop Structure Fish Ladder

2021Water shortage emergency declared 
2022Construction complete for Lower Alameda Creek Fish Passage Improvement Program