Joshua Basin Water District

What Joshua Basin Water District does

Joshua Basin Water District (JBWD) is a California special district public water utility formed in 1963, serving over 5,600 active and inactive connections across a 96-square-mile service area in Joshua Tree, California. The district extracts, treats (chlorination only — no additional additives beyond minimum state-required chlorine), and distributes approximately 600 million gallons of drinking water annually from local groundwater basins. It operates and maintains an extensive physical infrastructure footprint including approximately 300 miles of pipeline, 5 groundwater wells, 17 reservoir tanks with combined capacity of 12,330,000 gallons, 12 booster pump stations, 12 pressure-reducing stations, and 1,426 fire hydrants. The district supplements local groundwater with State Water Project water imported via the Morongo Basin Pipeline through its membership in the Mojave Water Agency.

JBWD generates revenue through a multi-stream, regulated rate model implemented under Proposition 218: recurring monthly basic fees scaled by meter size (ranging from $50.20 for residential 3/4"–1" meters to $502.00 for 3" commercial meters), tiered consumption charges (Tier 1 at $10.10/unit up to Tier 4 at $15.35/unit for high-usage residential), flat usage rates for larger meters, annual standby charges tied to capital costs, one-time capacity charges governed by Government Code 66013, and development service fees for new construction. Customer-facing digital operations are built on third-party SaaS: Paymentus for 24/7 online and phone bill payment with AutoPay, DocuSign for service applications, PlanetBids (selected February 2026) for vendor and procurement management, and Backflow Solutions, Inc. (BSI Online) for backflow testing administration. The district is governed by a publicly elected five-member Board of Directors, with Sarah Johnson serving as General Manager and David Shook and Anne Roman as Directors of Administration and Finance, respectively; the Director of Operations position is currently vacant.

The district serves residential customers as its primary segment, with secondary segments comprising commercial and development customers, the hospitality industry (short- and long-term rental properties), and institutional users such as Hi-Desert Medical Center. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through physical infrastructure plus a multi-channel service model (in-person office at 61750 Chollita Rd, online portal, phone, mail, and a 24/7 drop box). Marketing and community engagement are conducted via the jbwd.com website, Facebook and YouTube channels, a monthly newsletter, free community classes (xeriscaping, leak detection, drip irrigation), district tours, and a Water Wise Demonstration Garden funded by Mojave Water Agency and Bureau of Reclamation grants. The district currently faces a material regulatory challenge: its Chromium-6 levels exceed California's new 10 ppb Maximum Contaminant Level effective October 2024, and it is evaluating treatment options and developing a compliance plan.

Name

Joshua Basin Water District

Legal name

Joshua Basin Water District

Website

https://jbwd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Joshua Basin Water District is a California public water utility serving over 5,600 connections across 96 square miles in Joshua Tree, delivering approximately 600 million gallons of groundwater annually through basic fees, tiered consumption charges, and standby revenues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Drinking water supply
• Water distribution infrastructure
• Groundwater treatment services
• Water billing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Joshua Tree

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Water Service Charges: Monthly basic fees based on meter size (ranging from $50.20 for 3/4"-1" meters to $502.00 for 3" meters) plus consumption charges tiered by usage level. All accounts including Active, Transitional and Inactive are billed the Basic Monthly Fee.
2. Water Delivery: Delivers approximately 600 million gallons of high-quality water to customers annually from groundwater basins. Revenue generated from volumetric water consumption charges.
3. Standby Charges: Annual standby charge revenues dedicated to capital costs and operation/maintenance of water facilities benefiting properties from which the charge is collected.
4. Development Services: Fees for new meter installations, development request forms, fire flow letters, will-serve letters, temporary construction meters, and W1/S1/Non-Interference letters for residential and commercial development projects.
5. Capacity Charges: Water capacity charges designed to equitably recover costs of water system facilities and assets benefiting new development, governed by Government Code 66013.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Joshua Basin Water District is a California special district and public water utility that extracts, treats (chlorination), stores, and distributes drinking water from local groundwater basins to over 5,600 residential and commercial connections across a 96-square-mile service area in Joshua Tree, California. The district supplements its core water delivery service with regulated backflow prevention testing, development services for new construction, vendor procurement administration, and annual water quality reporting under EPA and California drinking water standards.

Product overview

Joshua Basin Water District operates as a public water utility providing integrated water distribution and management services to over 5,600 connections across a 96-square-mile service area in Joshua Tree, California. The District's core offering is groundwater extraction, treatment (chlorination), and distribution of drinking water, supplemented by a backflow prevention testing program administered through BSI Online. Customer-facing digital services include online bill payment (via Paymentus), water service applications (via DocuSign), and vendor/procurement management (via PlanetBids with Ebix for insurance processing). The District also provides development services, financial administration including rate studies under Proposition 218, and annual water quality reporting under EPA requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Distribution and Delivery Service Groundwater extraction, chlorination treatment, storage, and distribution of drinking water to over 5,600 active and inactive connections across a 96-square-mile service area in Joshua Tree, California, delivering nearly 600 million gallons annually.
• Online Bill Payment Service Electronic bill payment platform powered by Paymentus, enabling customers to pay water bills 24/7 online via credit card, debit card, or e-check, with optional AutoPay enrollment. Also accessible by phone at (855) 748-8527.
• Backflow Prevention Program Annual backflow prevention assembly testing and certification program required for hazardous cross-connections per California law, administered in partnership with Backflow Solutions, Inc. (BSI Online) which provides a step-by-step guide for installations/testing, reminder letters for annual testing, and online certification tracking.
• Vendor and Procurement Management Solicitation and vendor management platform for procurement of materials, supplies, equipment, and services, hosted via the PlanetBids portal. Includes new vendor application, insurance verification through Ebix, and purchase order management.
• Water Service Application and Account Management New and reinstated water service applications processed via DocuSign e-signature platform, including service questionnaires, credit verification (soft credit check for deposit waiver), and deposit handling.
• Development Services Residential and commercial development design review, water availability assessment, new meter installations, fire flow static pressure letters, will-serve letters, temporary construction meters, W1/S1/Non-Interference letters, and capacity charges for new construction projects.
• Water Quality Reporting and Compliance Annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) documenting water source, quality, and contents per EPA requirements and published by July 1st each year, including Chromium-6 monitoring and compliance with California state and federal drinking water standards.
• Financial Administration and Transparency Services Comprehensive financial services including annual audits, budget management, rate studies (Proposition 218), water capacity charge studies, standby charge reporting, and unclaimed funds management, supporting the District Transparency Certificate of Excellence awarded by the Special District Leadership Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600 million gallons of high-quality water delivered annually

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PlanetBidscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2026Joshua Basin Water District selected PlanetBids to modernize its procurement operations ahead of major capital infrastructure projects. The district will implement PlanetBids' solicitation and vendor management platform to centralize procurement activity, improve transparency, and ensure audit compliance. As of February 2026, bid opportunities are hosted through the PlanetBids portal.
• Backflow Solutions, Inc. (BSI)coreTechnology or IntegrationJBWD partnered with Backflow Solutions, Inc. (BSI Online) to assist in administering the backflow program. BSI provides a step-by-step guide for new backflow installations and testing, sends reminder letters for annual testing, and maintains online tracking for certification filing through app.bsionlineetracking.com.
• Mojave Water AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJBWD joined the Mojave Water Agency in 1960 for access to State Water Project (SWP) water. MWA is one of 29 state water contractors with access to supplemental water from the California Aqueduct. MWA has been importing water since 1991 through the Morongo Basin Pipeline to recharge the groundwater basin.
• San Bernardino CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJBWD works with San Bernardino County for building permits, county fire letters, and county-assigned addresses. Property owners must obtain a San Bernardino County assigned address before applying for water service.
• Morongo Basin Cultural Arts CouncilminorOthersThe themed mural artwork in the Water Wise Demonstration Garden was donated by the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council, supporting the district's community education efforts.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Water Works Company: Largest publicly traded US water and wastewater utility (NYSE: AWK), serving 14+ million people. Comparable regulated rate-base model and California state operations, but vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Golden State Water Company: Investor-owned California-regulated water utility serving 80+ communities across the state. Comparable regulated rate-base business model, California PUC oversight, and tiered residential/commercial rate structures, though at materially greater scale and as an IOUs rather than a special district.
• California Water Service Group: California-headquartered publicly traded water utility (NYSE: CWT) serving ~2 million people across California, Hawaii, Washington, and New Mexico. Provides benchmark for California-regulated water utility economics, rate-base growth, and Chromium-6 / PFAS compliance capex patterns relevant to JBWD.
• Coachella Valley Water District: Large Southern California desert water and wastewater utility serving the greater Coachella Valley. Comparable in climate, groundwater management challenges, and MWA/CVWD wholesale relationships, but materially larger in scale and geographic scope.
• Liberty Utilities: Multi-state regulated water, wastewater, and natural gas utility with significant California operations including the former Apple Valley Ranchos Water. Comparable regulated water utility operating model and California regulatory environment, though Liberty is investor-owned and broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Hi-Desert Water District: Neighboring California special district water utility serving the adjacent Morongo Basin communities (Yucca Valley, etc.). Highly comparable as a small desert groundwater-based utility with similar rate structure, regulatory exposure, and SWP recharge dependence via the Mojave Water Agency.
• Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency: California water agency serving the Landers and Joshua Tree areas in the Morongo Basin. Comparable small-scale desert water provider reliant on groundwater and MWA recharge, with overlapping service geography near JBWD.
• Cucamonga Valley Water District: California special district water utility in San Bernardino County. Comparable governance structure (elected board, special district status), Prop 218 rate-setting approach, and small-to-mid scale residential/commercial water operations.
• Twentynine Palms Water District: California special district water utility serving the City of Twentynine Palms in San Bernardino County, adjacent to JBWD. Similar size, groundwater-dependent supply, small ratepayer base, and proximity to Joshua Tree National Park/Marine Corps base.

Regional players

• San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District: Wholesale water agency serving San Bernardino Valley. Relevant as a regional wholesale/municipal water counterpart in the same county, supplying supplemental water and groundwater recharge coordination — analogous to JBWD's relationship with MWA.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@JoshuaBasinWaterDistrict
• Facebookfacebook.com/JoshuaBasinWaterDistrict
• Xx.com/JTreeH20

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Joshua Basin Water District