Chronology of Significant Events

Year Event(s)
1914 ACWD organized - The first District founded under the Caminetti Bill (County Water District Act of 1913).
1930 Purchase of the Alvarado Pumping Station from EBMUD places ACWD in the Water Distribution business.
1938 Purchase of Irvington Water System.
1939 Purchase of Centerville Water System.
1940 Purchase of Gallegos (Mission San Jose) Water System.
1949 Filed for rights for surplus water from Alameda Creek.
1951 Mission San Jose area annexed.
1956 $4,290,000 Improvement District No. 1 Bond issue approved for distribution system improvements.
1958 Office Center opened on Fremont Boulevard.
1961 ACWD signed contract with the Department of Water Resources for State Water Project.
1962 First delivery of State Water Project water from South Bay Aqueduct (ACWD was the first contractor to receive water from the State Water Project).
1963 Seven (VII) Hills annexation.
1964 Contract with San Francisco for Hetch Hetchy water supply $4,950,000 Improvement District No. 3 Bond issue and approved for distribution system improvements.
1967 Appian Tank completed
1971 Manuel J Bernardo Softening Plant placed in operation to soften ground water supply.

Voters mandate fluoridation of water.
1972 Rubber Dam No. 1 installed to increase groundwater recharge capacity (This was the first such installation in the United States, and also the world's largest inflatable dam) Army Corps of Engineers completed widening and straightening of Alameda Creek allowing for a larger percolation area for the groundwater supply and providing a channel to the Bay for heavy storm water discharge.

Alameda Reservoir completed.
1973 $2,850,000 Improvement District No. 5 Bond issue approved for acquisition of Citizens Utilities Company (CUC), Niles-Decoto system, and other systems.

California Department of Fish and Games institutes regularly scheduled stocking of Alameda Creek with trout.
1974 Aquifer Reclamation Program started in order to remove saltwater from the groundwater basin.
1976 Mission San Jose Water Treatment Plant placed in operation to treat State Project water for distribution system use.

Agreements with East Bay Regional Park District, Alameda County Flood Control and City of Fremont establish recreational areas along Alameda Creek and Percolation Ponds.

New Chemistry Laboratory building constructed to provide facilities for testing water quality to meet federal and state standards.

Rubber Dam No. 2 installed.
1977 Water Shortage Emergency declared Voluntary water rationing adopted.
1979 Hidden Valley tank completed.
1981 Improvement District No. 5 (formerly CUC) system major improvements completed.
1982 First group of wells drilled to prevent saltwater intrusion as part of Salinity Barrier Program.
1984 25 year contract signed with San Francisco Water Department.
1985 New Office / Operations Center constructed at South Grimmer Boulevard site.
1986 21 Million Gallon, MP Whitfield Reservoir completed.
1987 District Twenty Five Year Capital Improvement Program adopted.

Vineyard Heights Tank completed.
1988 First phase of District telemetry (SCADA) system installation completed.
1989 Rubber Dam No. 3 constructed to increase groundwater recharge.

CHP takes administrative action declaring Niles Canyon Road off limits to vehicles carrying hazardous materials.
1990 Alameda Creek Watershed Environmental survey completed.

Pits T-1 and T-2 recharge facilities purchased.
1991 $30,000,000 Construction contract for Water Treatment Plant No. 2 was awarded.

Water Shortage Emergency declared, Drought Management Program adopted.
1992 Blending begins, combining groundwater and San Francisco water supplies to provide a more uniform, lower hardness water supply.

Purchase of Pit H recharge facility finalized, completing the land acquisition for the Quarry Lakes Groundwater Recharge and Recreational Area.

Automated Water Quality Monitoring Station installed on Alameda Creek.

$24,330,000 in Certificates of Participation for capital facilities financing issued.
1993 Water Treatment Plant No. 2 opened, 28 million gallon capacity (hydroelectric generation, ozone disinfection and mechanical solids dewatering included) Drought Management Program rescinded.
1994 Distribution System Water Quality Monitoring Sampling Stations installed at 44 above ground and 88 below ground locations.
1995 $22,200,000 in Certificates of Participation for capital facilities financing issued.

Integrated Resources Plan adopted.
1996 Avalon Tank completed.
1997 Rehabilitation of Quarry Pits.
1998 Blending / Chemical Storage and Handling Facility put online.
2003 Newark Desalination Facility put online.
2005 New Water Quality Lab completed.
2008 First fish screens constructed on Alameda Creek.
2009 Rubber Dam No. 2 removed, fishway installed.
2010 Newark Desalination Facility expanded.
2014 Water shortage emergency declared.
2016 Water shortage emergency ordinance rescinded.

ACWD became the Groundwater Sustainability Agency for the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin.
2018 Groundbreaking of Rubber Dam No. 3 Fishway Construction Project.
2019 The Department of Water Resources approved ACWD's Alternative to a Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin.

Completion of Rubber Dam No. 3 Fish Ladder.

Groundbreaking of Rubber Dam No. 1 & Flood Control Drop Structure Fish Ladder.
2021 Water shortage emergency declared.
2022 Construction complete for Lower Alameda Creek Fish Passage Improvement Program.
2024 Construction complete for PFAS Groundwater Treatment Facility.