Dawn Anderson, who served on the Sunnyslope County Water District for 22 years, will step down at the end of her term in December. She attended her last meeting on Nov. 8, when two new board members were announced.
Anderson, a retired teacher who has lived in the area for six decades, served on the board during a period of growth for the city of Hollister.
Anderson served on numerous committees in the past 22 years and most recently served as the district’s representative on the Water Resources Association and on the Policy and Procedures Committee. She was the alternate on the Water and Wastewater Committee, the Governance Committee, and the Employee & Personnel Committee. She has been responsible for counter signing nearly all the checks for the District.
In 1991, the district served its customers utilizing four wells with a pumping capacity of 2,300 gallons per minute. Today the district is served by five wells with a capacity of 4,500 gallons per minute as well as the Lessalt Surface Water Treatment Plant with a capacity of 1.7 million gallons per day. All of the district’s wells have been fitted with backup emergency generators since Anderson came on the Board.
Other significant events under Anderson’s tenure include the conversion to radio read meters reducing the man-hours necessary to read water meters from 120 hours to four hours, the completion of the urban water management plan in 2000, and an update in 2010. Anderson was been a part of the district signing a memorandum of understanding in 2008 allowing the district to collaborate with the City of Hollister, San Benito County, and the San Benito County Water District in the water and wastewater infrastructure planning for San Benito County. This has resulted in the District taking an active role in Hollister Urban Area Water and Wastewater Master Plan and the Governance Committee that is guiding the improvement of water quality and supply to the urban areas of the County.
In 2012, Anderson assisted the development and adoption of the district’s first five-year strategic plan. All of these projects are essential in maintaining a high quality of service to existing customers and preparing for future customers, according to water district staff members.
When Anderson started her service in 1991, the Sunnyslope County Water District had 3,071 water service connections and served a population of about 9,782.
The number of users has nearly doubled, with 17,165 users today. The water district has 5,380 water service connections and 1,204 sewer connections.
