Operations and Facilities

Function Overview

The Operations & Facilities Department is the largest department within the Valley Center Municipal Water District. It comprises six divisions and is staffed by 44 full-time employees, including seven dedicated to wastewater operations. The Department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all District water and wastewater facilities, as well as the District’s safety and security programs. In addition, it undertakes a variety of in-house construction and improvement projects and collaborates closely with the Engineering Department to provide planning support, construction expertise, and delivery of smaller capital improvement projects.

Divisions

Administration

The Administration Division oversees and coordinates the daily functions of the District’s Operations & Facilities Department. Its responsibilities include customer service, radio dispatch, the management of employee certifications, training, and compliance with required employee physicals, as well as the distribution and tracking of backflow testing and violation notices.

Safety & Regulatory Compliance
  • The Safety and Regulatory Compliance Division oversees the District’s comprehensive safety and compliance programs across all departments, with a focus on maintaining a low workers’ compensation rating through its insurance provider, ACWA/JPIA. The Division is responsible for monitoring and supporting adherence to all applicable federal, state, and county safety regulations and requirements.
  • The Division also encompasses the District’s Security function, which is responsible for safeguarding facilities through the use of surveillance systems, facility hardening measures, and implementation of the District’s Risk and Resilience Assessment.
Operations - Water

The Water Operations Division is responsible for forecasting system demand, procuring water supplies, and regulating distribution system flows to ensure reliable service. The Division analyzes pump efficiency and monitors solar generation data to develop optimized pumping strategies that enhance operational efficiency and reduce overall energy costs.

The Division is also responsible for:

  • Water quality, sampling, testing
  • Pressure reducing stations
  • Altitude valve maintenance
  • The District’s Water Quality Report
  • Monthly facility and reservoir inspections
  • All DHS reporting
  • The operations of the SCADA and telemetry system
Operations - Wastewater

The Wastewater Operations Division is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Lower Moosa Canyon Water Reclamation Facility and the Woods Valley Ranch Water Reclamation Facility. This includes conducting process control testing and making operational adjustments to ensure compliance with effluent standards established by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The Division also oversees the maintenance of the District’s wastewater collection system, including gravity sewers, lift stations, and low-pressure systems.

Responsibilities include locating, inspecting, and repairing sewer pipelines and manholes to ensure system reliability and performance. The Woods Valley Ranch facility produces the District’s first tertiary-treated water and supports the District’s recycled water program.

Pumps and Motors

The Pump & Motor Division is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of electrical and mechanical equipment across the District’s 62 water and wastewater facilities. Through proactive maintenance and asset replacement programs, the Division ensures a high level of efficiency, reliability, and safety for critical infrastructure.

The water facilities are comprised of 57 locations consisting of:

  • 40 reservoirs
  • 107 electric motor driven pumps
  • 29 emergency power generators
  • 8 air compressors
  • 8 natural gas engine driven pumps
  • 6 solar power systems

The wastewater facilities are comprised of 6 locations consisting of:

  • 56 electric motor driven pieces of equipment
  • 5 emergency power generators

In addition, the Division leads the in-house planning and implementation of major initiatives, including the District’s SCADA system, evaluation of potential solar sites, and security system enhancements, along with ongoing maintenance, upgrades, and improvements to these systems. The Division also oversees the District’s Fleet operations, providing maintenance and repair services for all vehicles and equipment. The fleet inventory includes 49 vehicles, 44 heavy equipment, and 84 miscellaneous equipment assets.

Construction and Maintenance

The Construction & Maintenance (C&M) Division is responsible for the inspection, maintenance, repair, upgrade, and location of more than 342 miles of pipelines and associated easements throughout the District’s 100-square-mile service area. The Division ensures the integrity and reliability of the distribution system by maintaining, locating, leak detecting, and repairing mainline valves and related appurtenances, and by completing a majority of the District’s in-house construction projects.

The Division maintains over 1,700 fire hydrants to ensure dependable operation during emergency response situations and conducts routine flushing of dead-end water lines to preserve water quality and system performance. It also provides support to the Wastewater Division by performing in-house construction activities and completing major repairs to sewer lines and manholes. In addition, the C&M Division is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of landscaping across all District facilities and easements, contributing to both operational functionality and site appearance.

Meter Services

The Meter Services Division is responsible for the installation, maintenance, and repair of all water meters, service laterals, and backflow prevention devices. This includes oversight of warehousing operations and the management of backflow and service repair inventories. The Division operates and monitors the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system, and conducts testing of water meters and backflow devices.

As of January 31, 2026, the District maintained 11,868 active meters, including 2,040 fire service meters, and 6,799 backflow devices that are tested annually. The Division administers the Cross-Connection Control and Backflow Prevention Program and responds to the majority of customer service requests received by the District. Additionally, it enforces the District’s water conservation requirements and oversees corporate facilities maintenance, including the repair and upkeep of District facilities.

 

Long-Term Goals

  • Continue installing the new Sensus ALLY meter that features a remote turn-on, turn-off and restricted use capabilities and build out the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) radio system.
  • Continue to maintain and upgrade the SCADA system installation at our water and wastewater facilities. 
  • Continue to maintain and upgrade the District’s pump and corporate facilities to improve energy efficiencies.
  • Continue to train and develop district personnel to meet the District's future succession planning demands.
  • Re-establish easement maintenance and meter maintenance programs throughout the District's distribution system to improve system evaluations and leak detection measures.
  • Work with Information Technology in the development and implementation of a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). The CMMS software will help increase efficiency by providing staff electronic mobile work order and customer service request capabilities as well as the ability to streamline reporting, track costs and schedule preventative maintenance.
  • Continue to implement and develop pumping strategies and procedures to maximize pumping efficiencies and incorporate solar or alternative generation into that approach.
  • Continue to research and implement strategies or new technologies to improve efficiencies and maximize costs savings in all aspects of our operational procedures.

Director of Operations & Facilities - Brian Lovelady