Zone 7 Water Agency

What Zone 7 Water Agency does

Zone 7 Water Agency is a public special district established in 1957 and headquartered in Livermore, California, operating as the exclusive wholesale water supplier for eastern Alameda County's Tri-Valley region (Livermore, Dublin, and Pleasanton). The agency sells water at wholesale to three named municipal retail customers: Livermore Municipal Water, the City of Pleasanton, and Dublin San Ramon Services District, which then distribute to end consumers. Its core service lines are Water Quality, Water Supply/Reliability, Flood Protection (a 37-mile flood control system across the Livermore-Amador Valley), and Groundwater Management under California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), with approximately 20% of supply sourced from a local groundwater basin via the Chain of Lakes system (Cope Lake and Lake I).

Zone 7's underlying technology is physical-infrastructure-based rather than software-based. In March 2025, the agency brought the Chain of Lakes PFAS Treatment Plant online, deploying Ion Exchange technology to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from groundwater at the COL Well site. In 2025 the agency announced the Chain of Lakes Conveyance System Project to capture excess water in wet years and store it locally, and it completed a comprehensive evaluation of its flood protection system as part of a multi-phase Flood Management Plan. The agency has also expanded consumer-facing conservation programs, including a Water-Efficient Landscape Conversion Rebate and a Smart Irrigation Controller Rebate effective October 1, 2025.

The business model is a regulated wholesale water utility funded through water rate revenue from its three captive municipal retail customers, supplemented by conservation rebate programs (with specific dollar caps: $3,000 residential / $20,000 commercial for landscape conversion; $125 / $3,000 for smart controllers). As a public agency with statutory exclusivity over its service area, Zone 7 faces no direct competitive threat within its territory; its growth is driven by regional water demand, infrastructure modernization (notably PFAS compliance), and flood resilience investment rather than market share gains. The agency employs 51-100 staff and is governed by an appointed Board of Directors that holds monthly public meetings.

Name

Zone 7 Water Agency

Legal name

Zone 7 Water Agency

Website

https://zone7water.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Zone 7 Water Agency is a public wholesale water district established in 1957, serving eastern Alameda County's Tri-Valley region through three municipal retail customers with water supply, flood protection, and groundwater management services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Water Supply and Flood Protection Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real-Time Monitoring & Smart Stormwater (Sensors, SCADA/IoT, RTC) (EUANAEAK), Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)

Keywords

• Wholesale water supply
• Flood protection services
• Groundwater management
• Water quality monitoring
• Conservation rebate programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Livermore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Water Supply Services: As a water wholesaler, Zone 7 generates revenue by supplying water to retail water agencies in eastern Alameda County including Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and surrounding areas. Revenue is derived from water sales to these municipal retailers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zone 7 Water Agency is the Tri-Valley region's wholesale water supplier, delivering treated water, groundwater management, and flood protection services to retail water agencies (Livermore Municipal Water, City of Pleasanton, Dublin San Ramon Services District) and supporting conservation through rebate programs. The agency manages a 37-mile flood protection system, the Chain of Lakes groundwater recharge system, a PFAS ion exchange treatment plant, and the Flood Management Plan while also providing water-quality, supply reliability, and educational (Water Academy) services.

Product overview

Zone 7 Water Agency operates as the Tri-Valley's water wholesaler serving eastern Alameda County, providing a unified suite of water management services. The core offerings include Water Quality Services, Water Supply/Reliability management, Flood Protection (managing a 37-mile flood protection system), and Groundwater Management. Supporting these core services are conservation rebate programs including Water-Efficient Landscape Conversion Rebates and Smart Irrigation Controller Rebates. Major infrastructure projects include the Chain of Lakes system (with PFAS Treatment Facility using Ion Exchange technology) and the Flood Management Plan. The agency also provides Water Academy educational resources. Board Meetings are publicly accessible monthly. The agency does not offer a software product with API integrations or AI capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Supply/Reliability Services Secures and delivers wholesale water supply for the Tri-Valley region through multiple sources including groundwater (approximately 20% from local groundwater basin) and surface water, managing water rights and availability challenges. Customers are retail water agencies in eastern Alameda County.
• Water Quality Services Provides wholesale water that meets or exceeds state and federal health standards, applying Zone 7's own more stringent quality standards. Customers are retail water agencies serving the Tri-Valley region.
• Flood Protection Services Manages a 37-mile flood protection system across the Livermore-Amador Valley, continuously improving preparedness and resiliency to protect the Tri-Valley community from flooding. Customers are the communities within the flood-protection service area.
• Groundwater Management Manages the local groundwater basin as a critical water source, implementing sustainable groundwater management practices aligned with California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Customers are the retail water agencies reliant on basin yield.
• Water-Efficient Landscape Conversion Rebate Program Provides per-square-foot rebates for converting irrigated lawn to water-wise, drought-tolerant landscaping using low or very low water-use plants per WUCOLS classifications. Targets residential and commercial property owners in the Zone 7 service area.
• Smart Irrigation Controller Rebate Program Offers percentage-of-cost rebates for Weather-based smart irrigation controllers that self-adjust based on local weather data and soil moisture readings. Targets residential and commercial property owners in the Zone 7 service area.
• Chain of Lakes Water Management System Integrated water management system using Cope Lake and Lake I for groundwater recharge, with plans to acquire additional lakes for water supply reliability and flood management. Includes the PFAS Treatment Facility using Ion Exchange technology to remove PFAS from groundwater. Customers are the retail water agencies and the broader Tri-Valley service area.
• Flood Management Plan (FMP) Comprehensive flood risk management strategy for the Livermore-Amador Valley region. Phase 1 defines goals and objectives; Phase 2 describes implementation methods. Drives flood-protection planning for the Tri-Valley service area.
• Water Academy Educational resources and curriculum for grades 1-8 teaching about water quality, with materials for teachers and fun activities for kids. Supports community water-awareness across the Tri-Valley service area.
• Public Board Meetings and Agendas Monthly public Board meetings held on the third Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at the Zone 7 Administration Building, broadcast live on Comcast Channel 29 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 and streamed online. Publishes board meeting agendas and supporting documents. Customers are the public and stakeholders in the Tri-Valley service area.

Quantifiable outcome

• Water quality exceeds state and federal health standards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tri-Valley Water PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTri-Valley Water Partners is a collaborative initiative that Zone 7 participates in alongside other water agencies in the region to develop comprehensive water solutions for the Tri-Valley area.
• Water Use Classification of Landscaped Species (WUCOLS)minorOthersZone 7 references the WUCOLS database maintained by UC Davis to determine plant water use classifications for rebate eligibility. Plants must be classified as 'low' or 'very low' water use.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• San Diego County Water Authority: Wholesale water supplier serving San Diego County via imported supplies and member agencies. Closely comparable business model of buying, treating, and wholesaling water to municipal retailers, plus major infrastructure capital programs.
• East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD): Large public water and wastewater utility serving Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Comparable as a Bay Area public water agency with retail and wholesale operations, integrated water supply, and major treatment infrastructure including PFAS programs.
• Contra Costa Water District: Public water wholesaler and retailer serving central and eastern Contra Costa County. Operates similar functions - raw water delivery to municipal customers, groundwater banking, and water treatment - in a neighboring East Bay service territory.
• Santa Clara Valley Water (Valley Water): Primary water wholesaler for Santa Clara County, California. Closest structural analog: special district wholesaler selling to municipal retailers, operating groundwater basins and surface water infrastructure, and managing flood protection in an adjacent Bay Area county.

Regional players

• Alameda County Water District: Public water agency serving Fremont, Newark, and Union City within Alameda County. Comparable in scale and Bay Area operating environment, but serves a different sub-region and is more retail-oriented than wholesale.
• Yuba Water Agency: California special district focused on water resources, flood risk reduction, and hydropower. Comparable as a California public water agency with combined water supply and flood management mandates, though operating in the Sacramento Valley rather than the Bay Area.

Broad incumbents

• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC): Regional water, wastewater, and power utility serving San Francisco and wholesale customers in Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. Overlapping Bay Area service footprint and direct wholesale customer relationship in the region.
• Metropolitan Water District of Southern California: The largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, serving 26 member agencies across six Southern California counties. Comparable as a wholesale water model at vastly larger scale, including groundwater banking and treatment infrastructure.
• California American Water: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility operating across multiple California service areas including portions of the Bay Area. Comparable water quality and treatment responsibilities but operates under a regulated private-utility model rather than a public special district.

Others

• Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San): Regional wastewater treatment agency serving the Sacramento area. Comparable as a regional public utility with major treatment infrastructure and capital programs, though focused on wastewater rather than potable water supply.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzXJ7T1HY2MofbRTFOjD7cA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Zone7Water
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zone-7-water-agency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Zone 7 Water Agency