Santa Rosa renames its utilities department

Santa Rosa is changing the name of the department responsible for water and sewer service from the utilities department to simply Santa Rosa Water.

The new name and logo, which have been in the works for months, were revealed in a department newsletter released last week, and explained in a press release Friday.

The department, which has enjoyed its current moniker for 30 years, is changing its name to better reflect its mission and services, officials said.

“What Santa Rosa Water provides, simply put, is all of the city’s valuable water resources including drinking water, stored water, storm water, and recycled water, and we manage it in a safe, reliable and efficient way for the community,” department director David Guhin said in a statement. “We are updating our name to reflect the integrated approach we take to managing our community’s water resources.”

The department, which is funded by water and sewer rates and overseen by the powerful Board of Public Utilities, is the city’s largest. Its $101 million operating budget represents a third of the city’s budget, and its $44 million capital budget represents three quarters of the city’s annual infrastructure investments.

-Kevin McCallum