As of February 2023, Sheep Creek Water Company is still under a moratorium on new connections.\u00a0 The company has been granted a temporary waiver to install up to 30 meters in lieu of preparing to dig new wells.<\/p>\n
—Background—<\/p>\n
In 2018, the California’s State Water Resources Control Board issued a letter notifying Sheep Creek Water Company that it was in violation of state regulations.\u00a0 Essentially, the company did not produce enough water to meet requirements for potential demand.\u00a0 As a result, a moratorium was placed on the installation of new water connections within the service area of SCWC.\u00a0 No new water meters could be installed, and all will-serve letters were invalidated.<\/p>\n
Over the past 5 years, the company explored consolidation with PPHCSD instead of drilling new wells to meet the state’s demand regulations.\u00a0 The consolidation plans were abandoned during the summer of 2022.<\/p>\n
A test well was dug at the company’s office site, to see if there might be water there.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the test well came up dry.\u00a0 As of this writing, the company is waiting to hear the result of deliberations on whether Joshua Trees are considered endangered by the state of California before finalizing permits to drill wells at two additional sites.<\/p>\n