SOUTHWEST WATER CO

We provide efficient, expert and custom delivery of water and wastewater services to hundreds of thousands of customers in four states.

Who We Are

Our utility divisions own and operate regulated water and wastewater systemsrepresenting hundreds of thousands of residential and business connections in four states:Alabama, California, Oklahoma and Texas. Customer rates, service and water quality are generally regulated by state agencies.

We help communities struggling with utility management challenges and system performance to deliver the best quality water possible. We have experience in virtually every aspect of water and wastewater system operation.

At SouthWest Water, we believe that with water comes responsibility:

• responsibility to provide water when you want it, where you want it
• responsibility to ensure that water is safe and meets all federal and state health guidelines
• responsibility to treat wastewater and safely return it to the environment for reuse.

We're an American-owned company with nationwide resources and local management and decision making. More than a million people in four states depend on us for high-quality, reliable service. The people we serve expect and get our full commitment. Every day, our state-certified water and wastewater technicians pump and treat millions of gallons of water in hundreds of communities. Our focus on water is the entire cycle of water (from its point of origin through transporting, treating, distributing and recycling) and its repeated uses, and we take pride in this stewardship.

Services

SouthWest Water Company provides a full range of professional water and wastewater services. Our core expertise is the management, operation and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment and distribution systems. We will tailor our services to fit your specific needs.

We are an experienced industry leader with an experience in virtually every aspect of water and wastewater utility operations, including the following technologies: conventional water treatment, air stripper, microfiltration, absorption beds, reverse osmosis, granular activated carbon (GAC), sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and primary, secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment.  

Water Production and Distribution Systems

• Ground and surface water production
• Water treatment and purification
• Meter reading
• Customer billing and collection
• Customer service and dispatch
• 24-hour emergency response
• Water quality assurance and laboratory services
• Facility inspections
• Well installation and maintenance
• Preventive and corrective maintenance
• Equipment installation
• Leak detection and repair
• Telemetry (SCADA)
• Engineering services

Wastewater Collection and Treatment Systems

• Complete treatment plant operation and maintenance
• Lift station operation and maintenance
• Sewer line cleaning, inspection and repair
• Inflow and infiltration analysis
• Bio-solids management and recycling 
• Industrial waste monitoring
• Laboratory testing services
• Compliance monitoring

Regulatory Affairs Management

Compliance with federal, state and local agency regulations is one of the most important aspects of water and wastewater systems operations. The process of sampling, analysis and reporting continues to grow in complexity, and the threat of stiff fines and penalties for non-compliance can be daunting. Fortunately, we have a simple answer. We handle all aspects of environmental compliance as it relates to the systems and facilities we operate from the daily sampling and analysis duties to interaction with regulatory agencies. 

Related Services

• Utility system evaluation and troubleshooting 
• Personnel management
• Capital needs assessment 

Mission and Values

Our Mission: SouthWest Water Company takes pride in stewardship of valuable water resources. We provide safe and reliable water, wastewater services and resource management for homes, businesses and communities nationwide. 

At SouthWest Water, how we accomplish this mission is as important as the mission itself, and we hold ourselves accountable for both the means and the end. We are all members of one team and we have clear beliefs about how to best serve each other and our customers, our business partners, and our communities. We share these guiding principles openly to make clear the behaviors we expect of ourselves and our business partners. They are with us every step of the way.

Job Safety

• We lead by example
• We take initiative to stop unsafe practices 
• We contribute to work place safety 
• We translate safety training into improved work site behavior

Company History

From Walnuts to Water

SouthWest Water Company's roots date back to 1925 when Able Garnier drilled a well on his 300-acre ranch in what is now the City of La Puente, California, seeking water for his vegetables and walnut trees. He struck a source of groundwater so rich that soon he had more than enough to meet his needs. Other ranchers noticed that Able's well continued to yield water abundantly while theirs were drying up. They appealed to Able for help and he readily agreed to share his water. When Able Garnier died in 1933, his son Camille took over the ranch and the water well. In 1946, Camille formed the San Jose Hills Water Company to begin selling water to neighboring farmers and ranchers on a formal business basis. 

Post-World War II

As the post-War population boomed and more people settled in the San Gabriel Valley to make their homes, the company joined forces with other nearby water companies to serve more customers. In 1953, the assets of the water companies were consolidated to form Suburban Water Systems. In 1954, the company was incorporated as SouthWest Water Company, with Suburban remaining one of its subsidiaries. After Camille's death in 1968, management of the company passed on to his son, Anton C. (Tony) Garnier, who led the company until his retirement in 2006. 

Beyond California

SouthWest Water first expanded outside of California in 1969 with the purchase of a water utility just outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company now owns more than 125 regulated water and wastewater systems in Alabama, California, Oklahoma and Texas. 

SouthWest Water Today

Today the company serves people in four states: Alabama, California, Oklahoma, and Texas. 

Good Stewardship for All

In 2007, SouthWest Water consolidated its many subsidiaries under a single name, reflecting the common purpose of providing good stewardship for our most precious natural resource: water.