Water District to Celebrate 50 Years of Service to Community
By Ruth Lepper

Thomas L. Brammell, General Manager. Photo by Jamey ritter

Ralph McIntosh is adding his expertise and personal knowledge to Ramona Municipal Water District's 50th anniversary celebration. What he knows about the district comes first-hand; McIntosh has the most longevity as any employee there.

McIntosh started working at the district 33 years ago when he was 19, the youngest employee at

that time. He started his career reading meters and is now superintendent of water operations.

"When I started working here, we had a total of 11 employees in the field staff and the office," said McIntosh, 52. "There were two meter readers, same as today, but we read all the meters within a week."

Today, the water district sets the total number of full-time employees at 58.

That figure does not reflect the number of personnel working for the fire department, which came under the water district in 1993. Fire services are contracted with California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection.

"Back in the beginning, it was a volunteer fire department," McIntosh said.

Lake Sutherland in 1950. Photos courtesy of RmWD

McIntosh has seen many changes that have taken place since he was hired in 1973. At that time, he was one of two meter readers and it took a five-day work week to read all of the district's 1,200 meters. Today's meter readers require about seven weeks to reach the district's 9,300 customers. Some of the meters are read monthly and others are read every other month.

The biggest change, McIntosh said, has been the overall growth of the district. This was most evident in the 1970s when new home construction was at a peak.

"Early to mid-'70s to 1980 was the really big bump with building, especially in Country Estates," McIntosh said.

Josie Coleman, another long-time water district employee, agreed with McIntosh that growth has been the biggest change over the years.

She started working for the district 24 years ago as a receptionist. She moved into the engineering department, then the purchasing warehouse and now is

Ralph McIntosh at Barger Plant, taken in the 1980s

in accounting.

"I've seen all the different things from the front desk to ordering to buying supplies," she said.

She also cited the friendships that have developed among employees as contributing to why employees continue to work for the water district.

"Even people who have come here to work and they leave, if they hear of an opening, they want to come back," she said, adding that the majority of the district's employees live in Ramona.

The water district will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an open house from noon to 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 12 at the Water Operations Center, 125 N. Second St., Ramona.

There will be educational displays on water conservation exhibits along with old photographs and newspaper articles. In addition, there will be displays of old equipment as well as modern-day technology. Demonstrations and static displays will be set up to offer the public a first-hand view of what the district has in service today.

Bargar Treatment Plant today showing aeration structure. Photo courtesy of RmWD

There also will be games and prizes for children. Hot dogs and soft drinks will be sold during the day by the fire department's Explorers Post.

A sanitation truck crew will show how sewer pipes are cleared. Water treatment procedures will be demonstrated along with uses for a combination jet/vacuum truck.

Ramona Municipal Water District was formed on Aug. 15, 1956. Its predecessor was Ramona Irrigation District, which was in operation here since 1925. The town's population in 1925 was 725. Water was provided to a 660-acre area with water mainly coming from Santa Maria Creek.

In 1954, Sutherland Dam was completed and connected by pipeline and natural streambeds to San Vicente Reservoir. Both Sutherland and San Vicente lakes are owned by the City of San Diego.

When RMWD formed two years later, the population in Ramona was 4,400 with the district boundaries covering 20,600 acres or 32 square miles. By 1976, the boundaries covered 46,000 acres. Today, the district covers 75 square-miles, or 48,000 acres.

Ramona Municipal Water District Employees today. Photo courtesy of RmWD

"In land mass, it's the third largest district in the county," McIntosh said.

In the beginning, all RMWD customers received treated water. In 1982, the dual water system went into effect, making untreated water available for its agricultural customers. McIntosh said the Ramona water district is the only one in the county to offer a dual system.

"Prior to 1976, all the water coming into the community was untreated," McIntosh said. "We chlorinated it at Mount Woodson reservoir and everyone used treated water."

Currently, sewer service is available in most areas with two treatment plants operating within the district. The water district owns a 166-acre park, known as the "wellfield park," that provides park and recreation facilities operated by Ramona Parks and Recreation Association.

RMWD purchases water from San Diego County Water Authority. Run-off water, from rainfall, is stored in Lake Sutherland.

Approximately 13 million gallons a day is needed during the summer and about 3.5 million gallons daily in the winter. At its peak, Ramona has used 18 million gallons of water in one day.

"Fifty years ago it would probably be less than one million gallons a day," McIntosh said.

Tom Brammell serves as general manager. The current governing board consists of Bob Krysak, Doug Wilsman, Jim Robinson, Kit Kesinger and Everett "Red" Hager.

Past board members and former general managers have been invited to attend the free community event on

Aug. 12.

"We're celebrating the fact that we've been servicing the community this long and that it's been a team effort," said Patty Bevers, the district's water resources specialist for 10 years. "We have a lot more to deal with now, the human effort - even though there's so much technology that goes into providing the high quality of water - that's what

we're celebrating."