City of San José
Home MenuPopular Searches
History of the Water System
The San Jose Municipal Water System is owned and operated by the City of San José. In May 1961, the City of San José purchased the Evergreen Water Company and created the San Jose Municipal Water System (MWS). In 1966, the North San José and Alviso service areas were added to the MWS. In 1983 and 1986, the Council established the Edenvale and Coyote service areas, respectively.
The purchase of the Evergreen system was made with loans from the City’s General Fund. These loans were repaid with interest by 1970, and the MWS has been completely self-supporting ever since.
Today, the MWS supplies water to more than 100,000 people and is the fourth-largest water retailer in Santa Clara County. The MWS has some of the lowest water rates in the San Francisco Bay Area, and provides a safe and reliable water supply to customers.