About SCWUA
A Brief History
It all began in 1932 when a man named Walter O. Weight who worked for Hersey Manufacturing Company called three of his friends to have lunch, go to the Los Angeles Angels baseball game at Wrigley Field, and later that evening go to the fights over at the American Legion Stadium in Hollywood. Those early friendships formed the nucleus of a group of the same kinds of friendships throughout Southern California. This group got together again the next month and every month after that for many years. The first field trip was taken to visit the Pico County Water District and look over the Calgon addition to the water supply. It was noteworthy in that Mrs. Robinson, wife of then Manager Walter Robinson of Pico County, served lunch for the group.
What started out as a group of friends in water related businesses getting together once a month for a field trip and lunch has evolved into today's Southern California Water Utilities Association. With membership from a wide range of not only water utility personnel but also other utility organizations and regulatory agencies along with ancillary companies providing support services to the utilities.
Today's Association is run by a volunteer group of professional men and women who donate their time to administer the programs, vendors fair, field trips and other functions of the Association. With an annual budget of approximately $25,000 and a current membership of 415 members, the Association provides a means of sharing information and a sense of fellowship not much different than the way it was back in '32.
Objectives
- To establish a relationship and foster communications and cooperation between members and their respective agencies and companies.
- To assist in educating and advancing the professional growth of its members.
- To act as a media for the exchange of information pertinent to the water works industry.
- To promote the image of the water works profession.
© 2005 Southern California Water Utilities Association, Inc. All rights reserved.