Dan Masnada, the Water Expert We Need

Water is life, and water has been my life. I started my water career in the Santa Clarita Valley at Valencia Water Company (now a division of the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency) and ended my water career in the Valley as General Manager of the Castaic Lake Water Agency (the predecessor to SCVWA). Consequently, I am the candidate for the SCVWA Board of Directors that is most familiar with all of our Valley’s sources of water supply and the water infrastructure that is so critical to sustaining our community’s quality of life and protecting our Valley’s environmental health.
As CLWA General Manager from 2002 to 2015, I:
• Oversaw over $150 million of capital improvements including (1) nearly doubling the combined capacity of the Agency’s two water treatment plants to meet the needs of one of California’s fastest growing communities and (2) installing two solar power facilities to reduce electrical grid reliance
• Managed the acquisition of an additional source of imported water to supplement CLWA’s State Water Project (SWP) supply
• Implemented CLWA’s first water banking programs to improve dry year supply reliability
• Led a legal and technical team in negotiating settlement of a groundwater contamination lawsuit and obtaining up to $100 million to remediate and treat perchlorate contamination of the local Saugus Formation aquifer
• Completed construction of the Agency’s initial recycled water facilities and commenced recycled water deliveries to the Valley
Prior to my CLWA employment, I served as Executive Director of the Central Coast Water Authority where I oversaw permitting, design, construction and start-up of $114 million conveyance and treatment facilities to deliver SWP water to 25 municipalities and water retailers in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. It was a unique opportunity in that I played a key role in building both the project and the organization that operates it.
I’ve lived in the SCV for over thirty years. After retiring from CLWA, I served on the Santa Clarita Planning Commission. There my years-long background in water engineering and management allowed me to expand my knowledge of the vital connection between water supply and land use planning.
Your vote on November 5th would provide me the opportunity to continue giving back to our community by utilizing my extensive water experience and expertise to enhance the Valley’s – and your – water security.