Kern County Water Agency

What Kern County Water Agency does

Kern County Water Agency (KCWA) is a public water agency established in 1961 by a special act of the California State Legislature, functioning as the local contracting entity for the State Water Project and the second largest participant in that 600+ mile state-built water storage and delivery system. Headquartered at the Stuart T. Pyle Water Resources Center in Bakersfield, the agency manages imported surface water, groundwater banking, water treatment, and flood control infrastructure across Kern County, which is California's largest agricultural county by output.

Core operations span five interconnected functions: (1) State Water Project contracting, through long-term agreements with 13 Member Unit water districts that together have received approximately 33 million acre-feet of SWP water since first delivery in 1968; (2) groundwater banking, with approximately 5.7 million acre-feet of storage capacity built across the Kern Water Bank, Pioneer (now Thomas N. Clark) Banking Project, and district-level programs, backed by more than $300 million of investment from 1977-2005; (3) urban water supply via Improvement District No. 4, including the 21.5-mile concrete-lined Cross Valley Canal (1,422 cfs post-expansion) and the 103 MGD Henry C. Garnett Water Purification Plant; (4) flood control through Improvement Districts No. 1 and No. 3 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-built Kern River-California Aqueduct Intertie (1977); and (5) water education outreach through K-12 programs, Project WET, video series, and community events.

KCWA does not operate as a commercial enterprise. Its economic model is that of a public contracting authority: water rates and assessments are set through public processes, revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed, and there are no equity holders, funding rounds, or M&A events. Customers are Member Unit water districts, Improvement District No. 4 retail purveyors (California Water Service Company, City of Bakersfield, East Niles CSD, North of the River MWD), and end agricultural, residential, and industrial users in Kern County. Strategic positioning is shaped by California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), through which KCWA participates in the Kern Groundwater Authority and the Kern River Groundwater Sustainability Agency.

Name

Kern County Water Agency

Legal name

Kern County Water Agency

Website

https://kcwa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kern County Water Agency is a California public water agency established in 1961 that serves as the local contracting entity for the State Water Project, delivering imported water, operating 5.7 million acre-feet of groundwater banking, and providing treatment and flood control infrastructure for 13 Member Unit districts and the Bakersfield metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Utilities (221)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Drainage & Field Water Management (Tile Drainage, Ditches, Water Table Control) (AFAAACAJ), Pipes, Tubing & Conveyance Infrastructure (Mainlines, Laterals, Hoses) (AFAAACAG)

Keywords

• Water supply management
• Groundwater banking services
• Flood control infrastructure
• Water purification operations
• State water contracting

Headquarters

HQ city

Bakersfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kern County Water Agency is a public water authority that manages State Water Project water delivery, groundwater banking, flood control, and water purification for Kern County, California. It serves as the local contracting entity for the California State Water Project, delivering imported surface water through long-term contracts with 13 Member Unit water districts and Improvement District No. 4. The agency operates the Cross Valley Canal, a 21.5-mile concrete-lined canal, the Henry C. Garnett Water Purification Plant (103 million gallons per day capacity), and groundwater banking infrastructure storing approximately 5.7 million acre-feet of water.

Product overview

Kern County Water Agency operates as a unified water management platform providing water supply, infrastructure, and education services. The core offerings include participation in the State Water Project (SWP) with long-term contracts for 13 member units, operation of Improvement District No. 4 for urban Bakersfield water supply, management of the 21.5-mile Cross Valley Canal, pioneering groundwater banking capable of storing 5.7 million acre-feet, flood control services, and the Henry C. Garnett Water Purification Plant (103 million gallons/day capacity). Supplementary services include comprehensive Water Education Programs with Project WET, K-6th and 7th-12th grade curricula, video series, and poster contests. The agency was established in 1961 and serves as the local contracting entity for the State Water Project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• State Water Project Water Delivery Long-term State Water Project water supply contracts managed by Kern County Water Agency, the second largest participant in the California State Water Project. Serves 13 Member Unit water districts and Improvement District No. 4 with imported surface water from Northern California. Approximately 33 million acre-feet delivered since 1968.
• Improvement District No. 4 (ID4) Urban Water Supply Supplemental urban water supply service for metropolitan Bakersfield through State Water Project imports. Provides water to retail purveyors including California Water Service Company, City of Bakersfield, East Niles Community Services District, and North of the River Municipal Water District, serving tens of thousands of homes and businesses.
• Cross Valley Canal Operations A 21.5-mile concrete-lined canal that moves State Water Project water from the California Aqueduct to urban Bakersfield. Connects to the Friant-Kern Canal enabling strategic water transfers for regional water stability, with capacity of 1,422 cubic feet per second after expansion.
• Groundwater Banking Services Pioneering groundwater banking system that stores approximately 5.7 million acre-feet of water during wet years for extraction during dry years. Includes the Kern Water Bank, Pioneer Banking Project (Thomas N. Clark Recharge and Banking Project), and multiple district-level banking programs to provide drought resilience for Kern County.
• Flood Control Services Flood control and water flow management for Kern County through Improvement District No. 1 (Rosedale area), Improvement District No. 3 (Weldon Valley), and the Kern River-California Aqueduct Intertie that conveys Kern River flood water into the Aqueduct to avoid downstream damages.
• Henry C. Garnett Water Purification Plant

Quantifiable outcome

• 33 million acre-feet of SWP water delivered since 1968
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Kern River Groundwater Sustainability Agency (Kern River GSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2016Formed March 30, 2016, through a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Bakersfield and Kern Delta Water District. The Kern River GSA covers 361 square miles (13% of the 2,834-mile Kern County Subbasin) and has prepared a Groundwater Sustainability Plan for sustainable groundwater management.
• Kern Groundwater AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative groundwater management partnership formed under California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The Authority coordinates with the Agency on groundwater sustainability planning and implementation within Kern County.
• California Department of Water ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Agency serves as the local contracting entity for the State Water Project, which is planned, built, and operated by the California Department of Water Resources. This partnership involves water storage and delivery across California's 600+ mile water system.
• State Water Contractors, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Agency participates as the second largest member in the State Water Project through contracts coordinated by State Water Contractors, Inc., working with the California Department of Water Resources on SWP operations.
• Friant Water AuthoritymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cross Valley Canal infrastructure connects to the Friant-Kern Canal, enabling strategic water transfers that enhance regional water stability and availability for Kern County water users.
• U.S. Army Corps of EngineersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored the Kern River-California Aqueduct Intertie construction in 1977, built by the Corps to convey Kern River flood water into the Aqueduct to avoid downstream damages. The Agency acts as superintendent of the project.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water): California's largest groundwater management agency and primary wholesaler for Santa Clara County, operating groundwater banking, treatment plants, and imported water supplies. Directly comparable as a county-level water authority managing conjunctive surface and groundwater use under SGMA.
• Alameda County Water District: California water district operating groundwater banking, imported water supplies, and a 100+ MGD treatment facility (similar capacity to KCWA's Garnett plant). Comparable as a public water utility integrating groundwater management with surface water imports.
• Dudley Ridge Water District: Small SWP contractor in Kings and Kern counties serving agricultural Member Units. Most structurally comparable to KCWA in terms of SWP contract structure, agricultural customer base, and reliance on a small Member Unit system for water delivery.
• San Diego County Water Authority: Wholesale water agency importing SWP and Colorado River supplies via the State Water Project and its own conveyance (San Diego Canal). Comparable as a public agency contracting for SWP water and operating major treatment and conveyance infrastructure to serve urban Southern California customers.
• Westlands Water District: Largest agricultural water district in the United States, also a major SWP contractor in California's Central Valley adjacent to Kern County. Closely comparable business model — wholesaling imported surface water to growers, groundwater recharge, and SGMA implementation.
• Friant Water Authority: Joint powers authority of 25 districts delivering water from the Friant-Kern and Madera canals. Direct operational partner with KCWA via the Cross Valley Canal interchange, with similar Member Unit governance and Central Valley agricultural focus.
• Metropolitan Water District of Southern California: Metropolitan is the largest SWP contractor and a wholesale water agency serving 26 member agencies across Southern California. Directly comparable as a California SWP contracting entity managing imported water supply, groundwater banking, and treatment for urban and agricultural use.
• Kern Groundwater Authority: Kern County-based joint powers authority formed under SGMA to manage groundwater sustainability in the Kern County subbasin. Closely intertwined governance and operational relationship with KCWA, with overlapping groundwater monitoring and management responsibilities.

Others

• State Water Contractors, Inc. Joint powers authority of the 27 SWP contractors that coordinates long-term water supply contracts with the California Department of Water Resources. KCWA is the second-largest member; SWC provides the contracting umbrella under which KCWA negotiates supply.

Regional players

• Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District: County-level California water agency operating groundwater banking, flood control, and treatment similar to KCWA, but serving a different geography (Napa Valley) with a more viticulture-driven customer base. Comparable scale and operational mix.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kerncountywateragency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kern County Water Agency