Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency

What Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency does

Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency (BBARWA) is a California Joint Powers Authority formed in 1974 to provide centralized wastewater conveyance, treatment, and disposal for three member agencies: the Big Bear City Community Services District, the City of Big Bear Lake, and San Bernardino County Service Area 53B (Fawnskin). The agency operates a single integrated treatment plant in Big Bear City that handles approximately 2.2 million gallons per day on average and serves roughly 25,000 residential and commercial connections across a 79,000-acre mountain service territory in the San Bernardino Mountains. Treatment uses conventional preliminary, primary, and secondary processes (bar screens, grit removal, settling tanks, biological aeration) removing 45-50% of pollutants in primary and up to 85-90% in secondary stages, with effluent reused for alfalfa irrigation in Lucerne Valley under Colorado Order No. R7-2016-0026.

Revenue is generated primarily through wholesale sewer user fees charged to member agencies based on flow data, supplemented by waste-disposal fees for off-system properties and (indirectly) by the beneficial reuse of treated effluent. Services are delivered exclusively through intergovernmental agreements — there are no retail customer relationships — and the agency holds a de facto regional monopoly bounded by NPDES Order CAS000001, Santa Ana Order R8-2005-0044, and state Sewer System Management Plan requirements. The agency is governed by a board whose members also serve as council members, commissioners, or directors of the three member agencies, and operates with 11-50 employees.

In addition to core treatment, BBARWA is developing the Replenish Big Bear Program, a regional groundwater-sustainability initiative that captures treated wastewater, purifies it via advanced treatment, and recharges local aquifers. In May 2026 the Governing Board voted 3-2 to re-scope the program to a simplified Greenspot Recharge Project (Phase 1) delivering 500 acre-feet per year — estimated to raise local groundwater supply by over 10% — instead of the original Sand Canyon plan, citing ~15% lower capital costs and >50% lower ongoing O&M. The agency is not publicly traded and is not investable in the conventional PE/VC sense; financial data is reported through California special-district transparency filings only.

Name

Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency

Legal name

Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency

Website

https://bbarwa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency is a California Joint Powers Authority formed in 1974 that provides centralized wastewater conveyance, treatment, and disposal for three member agencies across roughly 25,000 connections in the Big Bear Valley, and is developing the Replenish Big Bear groundwater-recharge program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Services

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Decentralized/Package Wastewater Systems (Small/Remote) (EUANADAE)

Keywords

• Wastewater treatment services
• Municipal wastewater management
• Water reuse programs
• Sewage disposal services
• Groundwater recharge solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Big Bear City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Sewer User Fees: Wholesale sewer user fees charged to member agencies (Big Bear City Community Services District, City of Big Bear Lake, San Bernardino County Service Area 53B) based on flow data. Annual rate structure includes total annual charges and standby charges.
2. Waste Disposal Fees: Waste disposal fees charged to residential and commercial entities for sewage disposal services for properties not connected to sanitary sewer system.
3. Effluent Irrigation Services: Final treated effluent is sold/provided for irrigation of alfalfa fields in Lucerne Valley under Colorado Order No. R7-2016-0026 Waste Discharge Requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency (BBARWA) is a California joint powers authority that provides centralized regional wastewater conveyance, treatment, and disposal for the Big Bear Valley. It operates a treatment plant that processes approximately 2.2 million gallons per day using preliminary, primary, and secondary treatment processes for roughly 25,000 service connections across three member agencies. The agency also delivers waste disposal services for off-sewer properties, beneficial reuse of treated effluent for alfalfa irrigation in Lucerne Valley, biosolids processing, and the Replenish Big Bear groundwater recharge program.

Product overview

Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency (BBARWA) is a joint powers authority providing centralized wastewater conveyance, treatment, and disposal for the Big Bear Valley. The agency operates a single integrated wastewater treatment system serving approximately 25,000 connections across three member agencies. Core offerings include preliminary, primary, and secondary wastewater treatment; the Replenish Big Bear groundwater sustainability program; waste disposal services for non-sewer-connected properties; and effluent reuse through alfalfa field irrigation. The SB 272 Enterprise System Catalog documents the agency's data systems per California requirements. All services are governed by various environmental permits including NPDES, Santa Ana Order No. R8-2005-0044, and Colorado Order No. R7-2016-0026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wastewater Treatment Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Removes 45-50% of pollutants through primary treatment and up to 85-90% through secondary treatment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• San Bernardino County Service Area 53B (Fawnskin)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1974County service area is one of three founding member agencies of the joint powers authority. Contributing approximately 10.6 million gallons to BBARWA in 2026 (through May).
• City of Big Bear Lake Department of Water and Power (BBLDWP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBLDWP is a member agency with existing infrastructure near the Greenspot Recharge Project site, allowing direct access to purified water without new facilities or interagency transfers. They are a key stakeholder in the Replenish Big Bear program for water sustainability.
• Big Bear City Community Services District (BBCCSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBCCSD is a founding member agency of the joint powers authority formed in 1974. They have existing infrastructure near the Greenspot Recharge Project, allowing direct access to purified water. Contributing approximately 124 million gallons to BBARWA in 2026 (through May).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District: Regional wastewater agency serving the Sacramento metropolitan area, operating a regional treatment plant with water recycling and biosolids programs. Comparable to BBARWA as a California regional wastewater utility structured to serve multiple member jurisdictions through a centralized treatment model.
• Orange County Sanitation District: Regional wastewater treatment agency serving 2.5 million people across Orange County, California. Operates the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), the world's largest indirect potable reuse project. Highly comparable to BBARWA as a California regional wastewater utility with a flagship water reuse program feeding groundwater basins.
• Las Virgenes Municipal Water District: Special district providing water and wastewater services to the Las Virgenes Canyon area of Los Angeles County (Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village). Operates the Pure Water Project for indirect potable reuse. Comparable to BBARWA as a smaller Southern California water district with similar scale, mountain-adjacent setting, and advanced water reuse focus.
• Inland Empire Utilities Agency: Regional wastewater and water recycling agency serving western San Bernardino County and the Chino Basin area. Operates multiple water recycling facilities and a groundwater recharge program. Comparable to BBARWA as a California regional wastewater utility with an explicit water reuse mandate and member-agency governance.
• Padre Dam Municipal Water District: Special district providing water, wastewater, and recycled water services in East San Diego County. Developed the East County Advanced Water Purification Program for indirect potable reuse. Comparable to BBARWA as a smaller California special district with a flagship water reuse project similar to Replenish Big Bear.
• Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San): Special district providing wastewater collection, treatment, and recycling for central Contra Costa County in the East Bay. Operates a regional wastewater treatment plant and recycled water program serving roughly 500,000 customers. Comparable to BBARWA as a California special district with a regional wastewater treatment mandate.

Regional players

• San Diego County Water Authority: Wholesale water agency supplying imported and locally developed water to 24 member agencies serving San Diego County's 3.3 million residents. Comparable to BBARWA for its member-agency governance structure and California setting, though focused on water supply rather than wastewater treatment and reuse.

Broad incumbents

• East Bay Municipal Utility District: Water and wastewater utility serving 1.4 million people across a 332-square-mile area of the East Bay (Oakland, Berkeley, and surrounding communities). Provides drinking water treatment, distribution, and wastewater collection/treatment. Comparable to BBARWA as a California water/wastewater utility, though much larger and more diversified.
• Valley Water (Santa Clara Valley Water District): Primary water resource agency for Santa Clara County, managing water supply, groundwater recharge, flood protection, and stream stewardship. Operates multiple recharge facilities in the Santa Clara Valley. Comparable to BBARWA as a California special district with an explicit groundwater recharge mandate, though focused on water supply rather than wastewater.
• Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County: Public agency providing wastewater and solid waste management to 5.6 million people across 78 cities and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Operates multiple regional treatment plants including the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant and the future Headworks Reservoir. Comparable to BBARWA as a major California sanitation agency, though dramatically larger in scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbpRof0lhQxBfKgE8PuZ7hw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-bear-area-regional-wastewater-agency

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency