About the IHMWC
The Irish Hills Mutual Water Company (IHMWC) serves 58 lots in the Irish Hills on county land adjacent to the City of San Luis Obispo, California, USA. We’re a non-profit mutual benefit corporation, established in 1987, which exists solely to pump, treat, and distribute water to ourselves. If you own one of the 58 lots in the water company, you are a shareholder in it, and have a vote in its operation. Shares go with the lot and are otherwise non-transferable.
Member lots include:
The 6 ten-acre parcels along the south side of upper Via Laguna Vista (Laguna Hill Park)
19 one-acre to two-acre lots and one 11-acre parcel in Emerald Hills Estates (the portion of Diablo Drive not in the City of SLO), the lower part of Via Laguna Vista, and all of Kilarney Court, and Donegal Drive.
30 one-acre lots in the Valle Vista Ranch part of tract 2270 (Nasella Lane, Poa Place, and Slender Rock Place, off Valle Vista Place)
2 Tract 2270 remainder lots off the north side of Via Laguna Vista near the intersection with Valle Vista Place.
Please note that all of the lots on Valle Vista Place and Arroyo Lane are members of the separate Bear Valley Water Company. We share underground water supplies with them.
Approximate reach of the Irish Hills Mutual Water Company (with labels to show the names of the developments)
Typical water meter found on each homeowner’s property
To supply water to the shareholders, the IHMWC has 6 wells, and 5 storage tanks totalling 120,000 gallons. This amount is specified by CAL FIRE to supply 1,000 gallons of water per minute for 2 hours in the event of a fire.
The IHMWC is governed by a 5-member board of directors elected by the membership. The board elects the water company officers and handles decisions affecting the operations of the water company.
We like to have representatives on the board from all of the developments in the water company. Please consider running for election at the next water company meeting.
Our bylaws state that water used is billed at the cost of production. This includes but is not limited to chemicals, electricity, permits and licenses, and labor. In addition, the bylaws say that every shareholder, regardless of a constructed home or occupation thereof, must pay an equal assessment calculated to replenish our maintenance and replacement fund. This ensures that we have sufficient funds for most anticipated and unanticipated repairs and replacements.
Homeowners are responsible for their water meter and all water pipes, irrigation lines and related equipment on their property. The IHMWC is responsible for all infrastructure outside of the homeowner properties. This includes the wells, water mains, fire hydrants, water shutoff valves, tanks, control equipment, etc. Monthly electric bills, water testing, reports, repairs, maintenance, improvements and other costs related to our infrastructure are paid for by the water use fees and monthly assessment found on your water bill.
One of IHMWC’s six wells
IHMWC electric meter and radio, found at each well site
IHMWC Fire Hydrant -- our wells and tanks also support firefighting