Project Status

Coordinating with residents and stakeholders to build on the completed feasibility study and to select a long-term solution.

Background

The area includes approximately 562 households located within three-quarters of a mile of the service boundaries of both the Orosi Public Utilities District (OPUD) and the Cutler Public Utilities District (CPUD).

In 2023, Community Water Center (CWC) began conducting outreach to homes on domestic wells in this area. Since then, CWC has supported residents experiencing drinking water challenges, including dry wells and wells contaminated with nitrate, which makes water unsafe for drinking and cooking, by directing them to available hauled water and bottled water programs.

The Cutler PUD, which provides water service to the 6,200 people in the community of Cutler, is also challenged by unsafe drinking water, with recent violations for 1,2,3 - Trichloropropane and nitrate contamination and a violation for bacterial contamination in 2019. Additionally, the Cutler PUD system is at high risk of experiencing a water shortage. On May 8, 2023, the State Water Resources Control Board initiated a voluntary consolidation between Cutler PUD and Orosi PUD to address Cutler’s water concerns. CPUD and OPUD submitted a draft consolidation agreement on November 7, 2023, in response to the voluntary consolidation notification, and the State Water Board issued a six-month extension to allow until June 30, 2024, for the negotiation of a final voluntary consolidation agreement. The State Water Board extended the original 6-month deadline to September 1, 2025, during which the OPUD and CPUD boards submitted a revised final agreement. The domestic well areas within the 0.75-mile distance from the CPUD and OPUD service areas could potentially be included in a future consolidation project if found to be feasible.

In December 2025, a study to understand the feasibility of long-term solution options for residents served by private domestic wells in the vicinity of Orosi and Cutler was completed. The feasibility study, completed by the engineering firm Provost and Pritchard Consulting Group, identified consolidation with Orosi PUD as the most viable option for domestic well areas in the vicinity of Orosi and Cutler. CWC is coordinating ongoing engagement with residents and stakeholders to build on the completed feasibility study and to select a long-term solution.