Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District
Environmental ServicesCalifornia, United States11-50 Employees
The Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District is an independent special district based in Humboldt County, California, formed in 1956 to develop a regional water system for the greater Humboldt Bay area. It operates almost exclusively at the wholesale level, supplying drinking water to seven public agencies that serve residents, businesses, and industries in the region. Its wholesale customers include the cities of Arcata, Eureka, and Blue Lake, plus four Community Service Districts: Fieldbrook-Glendale, Humboldt, Manila, and McKinleyville. The district's facilities encompass Ruth Lake via the R.W. Matthews Dam, a hydroelectric powerhouse at Matthews Dam, diversion and pumping works on the Mad River near Arcata, storage and treatment facilities, and two transmission systems delivering treated or untreated surface water to communities around Humboldt Bay. The district is governed by an elected five-member Board and operates as a regional water provider within the environmental services sector. In recent activity, HBMWD has been noted to collaborate with the Humboldt Community Services District during repair efforts, reflecting ongoing regional coordination.