CARMEL AREA WASTE WATER DST

What CARMEL AREA WASTE WATER DST does

Carmel Area Wastewater District (CAWD), also known by its legal name Carmel Area Wastewater District and formerly the Carmel Sanitary District, is an independent Special District of the State of California formed in 1908 under the Sanitary District Act of 1923 (Health and Safety Code §6400 et seq.). The district provides wastewater collection, treatment, and water reclamation services to residential and commercial customers in Carmel-by-the-Sea and the surrounding peninsula in Monterey County, and it is administered by a five-member elected Board of Directors serving four-year terms.

CAWD's operational footprint includes gravity sanitary sewage collection, treatment and disposal operations, water reclamation (turning wastewater into new water supplies for the peninsula), and a laboratory service for compliance monitoring. Its technology stack combines conventional wastewater treatment with resource-recovery processes: solids processing generates electricity for the treatment plant, biosolids are converted into fertilizer for agricultural use, and infrastructure rehabilitation projects employ pipe bursting methods for installing high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe (notably ~8,500 linear feet of 8-inch HDPE on the Santa Rita/Guadalupe project). The district also maintains a wastewater-based epidemiology program that monitors and publicly reports pathogen concentration levels as a community public-health resource, and it conducts source control, pretreatment, and FOG (fats, oils, grease) management programs for commercial food-service establishments.

The revenue model blends recurring sewer user fees, property tax revenue allocated to the special district, one-time new sewer connection fees, and transaction-based plumbing, sewer lateral, and waste discharge permit/inspection fees. Pricing is set by the Board and publicly posted on the Sewer User Rates page. Distribution is direct-to-customer within the district's geographic monopoly service area, with no resellers or third-party channels. Beyond utility operations, CAWD engages in extensive community outreach — facility tours, a newsletter, school partnerships (including CUSD internship programs), public events (Monterey County Fair, PBCSD Open House), and partnerships spanning the City of Carmel-By-The-Sea, California State Parks, Monterey Regional Park District, Big Sur Land Trust, and Diocese of Monterey.

Name

CARMEL AREA WASTE WATER DST

Legal name

Carmel Area Wastewater District

Website

https://cawd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carmel Area Wastewater District (CAWD) is a California independent special district providing wastewater collection, treatment, and water reclamation services to residential and commercial properties in Carmel-by-the-Sea and the surrounding Monterey County peninsula, governed by an elected five-member board.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wastewater Utility Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Gravity Sewer Collection Networks (Sanitary Sewers) (EUANACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sewer Inspection, Condition Assessment & Monitoring (CCTV, Sensors) (EUANACAG), Sewer & Stormwater Line Cleaning (Jetting, Rooting) (BPALAMAG)

Keywords

• Wastewater collection services
• Wastewater treatment operations
• Water reclamation services
• Sewer utility services
• Wastewater permits

Headquarters

HQ city

Carmel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Sewer User Fees: Charges for sewer services to residential and commercial customers within the district service area based on sewer user rates
2. Connection Fees: Fees charged for new sewer connection permits for properties connecting to the district's wastewater collection system
3. Plumbing and Permit Fees: Revenue from issuing plumbing permits, sewer lateral permits, waste discharge permits, and associated inspection fees
4. Property Tax Revenue: Special district receives property tax revenue as a California independent special district operating under the Sanitary District Act of 1923

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CAWD collects wastewater through its gravity-based sewer infrastructure spanning 78 miles of pipeline and three pump stations, treats the wastewater at its treatment facility, and reclaims the water for the Monterey Peninsula. The District additionally processes solids into electricity and fertilizer, administers a source control and pretreatment program, and issues plumbing and waste discharge permits. It is recognized as the regional leader in wastewater-based epidemiology, using its in-house laboratory to monitor community pathogen levels.

Product overview

Carmel Area Wastewater District operates as a single unified service providing comprehensive wastewater management. The district's core functions include wastewater collection through its sewer infrastructure, treatment operations at its processing facility, and water reclamation to create new water supplies for the peninsula. Supporting services include laboratory testing, plumbing and discharge permit administration, pathogen monitoring, and community education programs. The district transforms wastewater into recycled water while generating electricity from solids processing and producing fertilizer from biosolids.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wastewater Collection Services
• Wastewater Treatment Operations
• Source Control and Pretreatment Program
• Plumbing Permits
• Waste Discharge Permits
• Sewer System Rehabilitation Services
• Wastewater Laboratory and Pathogen Monitoring
• Water Reclamation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Turning wastewater into new water supplies for the peninsula
• +2 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of Carmel-By-The-SeacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAWD is working with the City of Carmel-By-The-Sea on the Bridge to Everywhere project to create a new walking trail connection. The city and CAWD jointly own property downstream of the Carmel River bridge that could be converted into Rio Park. The trail would cross through city property and provide public access to regional park lands.
• California State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Bridge to Everywhere project seeking grant funding for public trail access. The new trail would connect to State Park and Regional Park lands south of the Carmel River, providing public access to the State Parks Wildlife Preserve.
• Monterey Regional Park DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating partner in the Bridge to Everywhere project seeking grant funding for public trail connections to regional park lands south of the Carmel River.
• Big Sur Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Bridge to Everywhere project for creating public trail connections and outdoor recreation access in the Carmel area.
• Diocese of MontereycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Bridge to Everywhere project. The proposed trail would extend through Mission Trail property owned by the Diocese of Monterey, providing public access via the old CAWD Treatment Plant Road.
• Carmel Unified School District (CUSD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict partnership with CUSD providing high school open internship opportunities for students to learn about wastewater treatment and environmental services careers.
• Pebble Beach Community Services District (PBCSD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual joint participation in PBCSD Open House events where CAWD staff educate the public about Collections, public outreach, Treatment and Reclamation services, and distribute materials on sewer lateral maintenance and FOG management.
• Monterey County FairminorOthersCAWD participates annually in the Monterey County Fair to educate the public about best sewer practices, distribute informational brochures and children's materials, and engage with community members through the Mr. Poop mascot program.
• Water Awareness CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAWD participates in Water Awareness Committee activities to promote water conservation and environmental awareness in the Monterey County region.
• Central Coast Long-Term Environmental Assessment Network (CCLEAN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAWD hosts CCLEAN Committee meetings as part of the Central Coast Long-Term Environmental Assessment Network, a collaborative environmental monitoring and assessment initiative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Veolia North America: Global environmental services company that contracts to operate municipal wastewater treatment plants across California and the U.S. Comparable to CAWD's treatment operations in scope and technology, though at vastly greater scale.
• California Water Service Group: Large California-regulated water and wastewater utility with regulated operations across the state. Provides a broad-incumbent benchmark for California utility operations, scale, and rate-base economics.

Direct peers

• Marina Coast Water District: California special district providing water and wastewater services in nearby Monterey County. Operates as a comparable small-to-mid-scale California utility with both collection and treatment responsibilities.
• Pebble Beach Community Services District: Neighboring California community services district providing wastewater collection and treatment to the adjacent Pebble Beach community. Operates in the same Monterey Peninsula geography as CAWD and is a documented partner on community outreach.
• Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency: Regional wastewater treatment agency serving the greater Monterey Peninsula. Operates sewage treatment facilities and related infrastructure in the same Monterey County service region, making it a closely comparable wastewater utility peer.
• Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside: Joint powers authority operating wastewater treatment and collection for coastal Mid-Coastside communities in California. Comparable small-scale coastal California wastewater utility model.
• Pacific Grove City (Sewer Division): Adjacent coastal municipality operating its own wastewater collection system. Similar small-scale coastal California sewer utility serving a residential community near Carmel.

Others

• California Special Districts Association: Statewide association representing California independent special districts including CAWD. Relevant adjacent organization providing governance, advocacy, and peer benchmarking for small California special districts like CAWD.
• Central Coast Long-Term Environmental Assessment Network (CCLEAN): Regional collaborative environmental monitoring network on the Central Coast of which CAWD is a hosting participant. Comparable via shared pathogen and water-quality monitoring capability rather than direct service competition.

Regional players

• Castroville Community Services District: Monterey County special district providing wastewater and related utility services in the Castroville area. Comparable California small-district wastewater operator, though further north along the Monterey Bay.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carmel-area-waste-water-dst

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 CARMEL AREA WASTE WATER DST