OTAY WATER DISTRICT AWARDED TRANSPARENCY CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE

Highlights Efforts to Promote Transparency and Good Governance

East County News SErvice

May 18, 2025 (Spring Valley, CA) -- The Otay Water District received the District Transparency Certificate of Excellence from the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) in recognition of its outstanding efforts to promote transparency and good governance and reaffirm its commitment to openness and accessibility for its constituents and local stakeholders.

"This award reflects the Otay Water District's dedication to open government," said Board President Jose Lopez. "I commend our staff for empowering the public with information and encouraging engagement and oversight."

To receive the award, the District demonstrated that it had completed essential governance transparency requirements, including ethics and harassment prevention training for all board members and staff, properly holding open and public meetings, promptly filing financial and compensation reports with the State Controller, and fulfilling other key transparency practices.

SDLF also notified the legislators representing the District's service area about the achievement. Assemblymembers Marie Waldron, David Alvarez, Akilah Weber, and Senators Steve Padilla and Brian Jones received letters commending the District for its open and transparent practices and recognizing it as a model of best practices for California agencies.

SDLF is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes good governance and best practices among California's special districts through certification, accreditation, and other recognition programs. For more about SDLF, visit www.sdlf.org.

Special districts are independent public agencies that deliver core local services to communities, such as utilities, wastewater treatment, fire protection, parks and recreation, healthcare, sanitation, mosquito abatement, ports, libraries, public cemeteries, and more.

The Otay Water District is a public agency providing water, recycled water, and sewer service to approximately 238,008 customers within approximately 125 square miles of southeastern San Diego County, including the communities of eastern Chula Vista, Bonita, Jamul, Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego, unincorporated areas of El Cajon and La Mesa, and east Otay Mesa along the international border with Mexico. For more information about the Otay Water District, visit otaywater.gov .