In 2011, both cities, along with Turlock Irrigation District, formed the Stanislaus Regional Water Authority, a joint powers authority to build and operate the plant. To pay for the plant, the city councils of both cities enacted a series of water-rate increases.
Turlock Mayor Amy Bublak, Ceres Mayor Javier Lopez, TID general manager Michelle Reimers, and SRWA general manager Christopher Fisher were joined on the dais by DeeDee D’Adamo, a member of the state’s Water Resources Control Board, and Elena Misaghi, an engineer with the Department of Water Resources. They were joined for the ribbon-cutting by Ceres vice mayor Bret Silveira; representatives from the offices of Rep. John Duarte (R-Hughson), Rep. Tom McClintock (R-El Dorado Hills), state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil (D-Jackson), and Assemblymen Juan Alanis (R-Modesto) and Heath Flora (R-Ripon); by members of the TID board of directors; Turlock Police Chief Jason Hedden; Turlock Fire Chief Andrew Hunter; Turlock vice mayor Pam Franco; Turlock city manager Reagan Wilson; Yosemite Community College District trustee Milt Richards; and many others.
“We have the collaboration of 30 years and in today’s world it’s super hard to get anybody to collaborate,” said Bublak. “But the excitement of having safe, affordable drinking for the future is amazing.”
Read more at: River water finally flowing to taps – Ceres Courier
