What We Do

Apple Valley Ranchos Water Company (AVRWC) is a Class A investor-owned public utility regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), subject to the CPUC’s ratemaking structure and guidelines.  We have invested more than $44 million over the last five years in capital improvement projects to ensure reliable delivery and high quality water to meet the demands of the region.

Located within the MojaveRiver Basin, AVRWC faces challenges unique to the high-desert area in addition to the water supply issues common to water agencies throughout Southern California.  Through dedication and innovation, members of the AVRWC team uphold our commitment to help our town thrive and provide the highest level of service to our community.

AVRWC Team

We take great pride in our employees who are dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of water and service for the customers.  By staying updated on the latest technology and emerging trends in the industry, all of us at AVRWC work diligently to integrate innovation with quality service.    

Customer Service

Excellent service is an integral part of AVRWC commitment to our customers.  The goal is to provide every single customer with the highest level of service by instilling in staff the importance of service and community.  Through Customer Information System (CIS) database programming, our customer service representatives keep updated and accurate billing information to answer any questions and maintain payment records.  Every effort is made to work with our customers to accommodate requests and special payment arrangements.  As the frontline of communication with our customers, we take great pride in a team that truly cares about the people we serve.

Production

Ensuring safe and reliable water supply for our customers is our number one goal.  AVRWC’s production unit conducts rigorous sampling and testing that go above and beyond the state and federal water quality requirements to give our customers peace of mind about their water.  Our water quality continues to exceed industry standards, and our facilities are closely monitored and operated through the state-of-the-art Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to optimize operational integrity and efficiency.

Distribution System Maintenance

Maintaining 450 miles of main requires extensive planning and flexibility to anticipate future infrastructure needs to ensure reliable delivery as well as addressing unforeseen events to protect the operational reliability of the overall distribution system. The maintenance unit oversees new main and main replacement construction efforts to meet the demands of our customers.  They monitor the condition of the main to identify major capital improvement projects that are needed to develop a sound plan to finance them, keeping financial impact to our ratepayers in mind.

Additionally, unforeseen events such as major leaks or breaks in the main require speedy responses and expertise to mitigate extensive property damages and water losses.  Another aspect of the department's function is fire services. We recently completed the replacement of all 2,500 outdated single-headed standpipes with larger diameter multi-headed fire hydrants.  All hydrant flows are cataloged in a computerized database and compared to previous flows to ensure system integrity.

Did you know that homeowners insurance is often priced according to the proximity of fire hydrants?  The Insurance Service Office (ISO) rates fire departments and water companies nationwide from Class One to Class Ten (Class One being the best).  In 2008, AVRWC completed replacement of the outdated single-headed standpipes with a larger diameter, multi-headed fire hydrants in order to enhance safety.  AVRWC continues to work closely with the Apple Valley Fire Protection District to maintain a respectable ISO rating of Protection Class Four.

Meter/Connection Service

The meter/connection service unit is responsible for monitoring and collecting all consumption data through regular reading of water meters at each of the company’s 20,000 connections.  Once the meter is read, the information is downloaded into a database program, and any unusual readings are flagged to ensure accurate read and billing.

In addition to reading meters, this unit is responsible for retrofits of all existing manual-read meters with state-of-the-art Automatic Meter Readers (AMRs) to enhance accuracy and efficiency of collecting consumption data.

Engineering

AVRWC engineering unit reviews all proposed plans for development and provides oversight in assessing the feasibility of the plan as well as carrying out the actual construction.  In addition to new development, this unit performs hydraulic modeling and analysis as well as oversees capital improvement projects including but not limited to mains, tanks and wells.

Over the years, through various partnerships and innovative financing efforts, AVRWC has been able to construct the needed infrastructure to support local development and limit the financial impact to our existing ratepayers.

Job Costs & Fixed Assets

The job costs and fixed assets unit oversee all contracts for all capital projects to track expenses and progress.  By providing the other units with comprehensive tracking and overview of the AVRWC’s water system, they are the clearinghouse of information and central point of focus for future capital improvement planning.

In line with AVRWC’s goal to integrate innovation and technology to enhance reliability and service, GIS mapping of the system is coordinated through this unit.  Through the GIS technology, information about our operations and assets are maintained with optimal accuracy to aid us in making informed decisions.

Human Resources

Our people are truly our greatest resources.  The human resources unit successfully maintains and recruits top notch employees to provide the best service.  Staff training and development are key to ensuring a successful organization with the talent and dedication needed to meet the growing demands during challenging times.  Streamlined operation usually means doing more with less, and at AVRWC, we remain committed to providing our people with the support and the tools to better serve our customers.

Accounting

Sound fiscal management is paramount in operating a business whose product is water, a precious and limited resource that is essential to life.  Through effective planning and emphasis on cost-saving measures, our goal is to provide the highest service at a reasonable price through responsible rate setting.  As an investor-owned public utility, AVRWC is regulated by the CPUC and therefore must comply with standards and guidelines set forth by the CPUC.

Conservation

To encourage water conservation in the region, AVRWC partnered with Mojave Water Agency, offering our customers financial incentive programs.  Currently, we offer “Cash for Grass,” a turf removal program that provides financial incentives to homeowners and commercial sites to remove grass and landscape using native plants and other non-water use designs.  In addition, high-efficiency toilet rebate/voucher program and high-efficiency clothes washer rebates for residential customers have also been very successful.Statewide, we all face the similar challenge of meeting growing demands with decreasing supply.