It has been my honor to serve on the Signal Hill City Council since 1997. As mayor and a certified public accountant, I want to dispel the pretense that the water department is running a deficit and should be sold off. I also want to assure the community that the city’s drinking water is good quality and meets or exceeds state drinking-water standards.
The City Council is proud that our residents pay 17-percent less for drinking water than Long Beach residents. Our water department is an independent enterprise that is completely funded by revenues collected from water sales. The City Council is just as proud to have prudently built up over $3.9 million in water department reserves to replace or repair water system facilities and equipment. Over $1 million is available in the water development fund that was paid by developers to be spent on future water system improvements. The City has also invested over $10 million in water system upgrades in recent years.
The city’s water quality is highly regulated and regularly tested. Each year the water department is required by the California Department of Public Health to provide a consumer confidence report to each customer. This report identifies the results of the water quality analysis and verifies that Signal Hill drinking water is safe. The report is available on the City’s website.
Signal Hill residents can rest assured that the City Council will continue to work hard to ensure that the water department is in sound financial condition and provides high-quality drinking water at a reasonable price.
Edward H.J. Wilson
Signal Hill Mayor
