Water is essential to life, but it has an even deeper meaning for those without consistent, clean, reliable drinking water. The Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians has long struggled with aging infrastructure in Big Valley Rancheria in Lake County, California. Even though the tribe is located near Clear Lake, the water supply had ongoing quality issues, including discoloration and hardness.
“Our community is the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians. We have several villages around this area; it’s a longstanding community of over 1,200 citizens. The tribe really prides itself on its sovereignty. Part of that is water sovereignty,” Tribal Chairman Flaman McCloud Jr said.
The Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians understood that the water issues needed more than a technical fix. For the tribe, water is tied to independence, health, and the ability to provide and care for their community on their own terms. The tribal leadership desired a solution to their water infrastructure problems that would respect tribal sovereignty, match the quality standards of surrounding communities, and serve the tribe and future generations.
A California-based company, ATEC Water Systems, provided the solution to the tribe’s water problems that they had been searching for, while also respecting their autonomy. ATEC Water Systems is a producer of utility-scale water filtration solutions for community groundwater sources, and it modernized the tribe’s water treatment system. Most importantly, the tribe maintains full control over its water.
Addressing Longstanding Infrastructure Challenges
Big Valley Rancheria, like many tribal communities, had experienced decades of underinvestment in infrastructure. This naturally made the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians cautious about forming outside partnerships. Big Valley Rancheria clearly needed to improve its water treatment system, but any trust with an outside entity needed to be earned.
Since 2008, ATEC Water Systems has formed partnerships with more than a dozen tribal communities across North America. The company’s involvement has helped improve access to reliable drinking water and strengthen tribal water independence.
ATEC Water Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of public water solutions company Cadiz Inc. The company specializes in modular, scalable treatment systems that are manufactured in Hollister, California. ATEC Water Systems can serve large utility-scale water suppliers as well as small, rural communities, including tribal nations. This was exactly the sort of partnership the tribe was interested in.
“You can have a small plant for anywhere from a couple hundred gallons a minute to up to thousands of gallons a minute, and you can use the same vessels to take out any types of contaminants from the water system,” Ben Ray III, CEO and Tribal Administrator for the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, explained.
The new Big Valley Rancheria system treats contaminants such as iron, manganese, ammonia, and corrosivity. It delivers up to 100 gallons of water per minute and serves approximately 1,400 residents. Engineered for long-term performance and simple operation, the system reduces the burden on local operators.
Additionally, the flexible system enables the tribe to adapt to future needs.
Clean Water as a Foundation for Community Confidence
The impact on the Big Valley Rancheria community was immediate when the ATEC system became operational. Not only did the water quality significantly improve, but the system’s automated operation also reduced the number of service interruptions affecting the tribe.
Leon Fred, the facility’s lead operator, noted the change. “The most interesting part of the ATEC system is not having the downtime for backwashing (cleaning) cycles. We don’t even really notice when the backwash goes on until we hear the water sounds because it’s automatic and there’s no loss in production time.”
The tribal leadership believes that a reliable water system supports their goal of water sovereignty. Clean, dependable water is essential to public health and housing stability. It is also key to long-term, sustainable planning for the tribe’s future.
“When that relationship was made, we were very fortunate and blessed that it happened with the right people. That’s going to provide for our people for generations. And that’s one less thing that we have to worry about,” McCloud adds.
A Long-Term Partnership
ATEC Water Systems’ partnership with the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians is not a one-time project and can extend beyond the installation of the water treatment facility. ATEC provides ongoing technical support and long-term maintenance to its customers.
“We are proud of the work we are doing with tribal partners to remove contaminants of concern from their water supply,” Steve Green, Chief Commercial Officer at ATEC, shared.
The water treatment facility at Big Valley Rancheria is an essential piece of community infrastructure and tangible proof that modern water solutions can support tribal sovereignty.
