Helix Water District Recognized for Local Government Transparency

Helix Water District has been honored with a Transparency Certificate of Excellence from the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF), recognizing the district’s strong commitment to open government, accountability and accessible public service.

This award is California’s gold standard for local government transparency. To qualify, the district must go beyond state requirements and demonstrate compliance with strict standards in open governance, financial reporting, website accessibility and public engagement.

To earn it, Helix Water District had to demonstrate rigorous transparency, including:

• Providing ethics and harassment prevention training for all board members and staff.
• Hosting open and public board meetings in accordance with the law.
• Timely filing of financial and compensation reports with the State Controller.
• Maintaining ease and public access to key documents, including meeting agendas, minutes, budgets, and financial audits.
• Meeting 19 separate website requirements to ensure customers can quickly find information online.

The award also reflects the district’s efforts to foster meaningful public participation, follow sound financial practices, and ensure that elected officials act with integrity and accountability.

“Transparency isn’t just a requirement for us — it’s how we build trust with the people we serve,” said Helix Water District Board President, Daniel H. McMillan. “When our customers can see how decisions are made and where every dollar goes, they can be confident that their water district is working in their best interest.”

The Special District Leadership Foundation is a statewide nonprofit that promotes good governance among California’s 2,000+ special districts through accreditation, training and recognition programs. For more information, visit www.sdlf.org.

Special districts are independent public agencies that provide critical local services such as water, wastewater, fire protection, parks, healthcare, libraries and more.

Helix Water District is responsible for the treatment and distribution of tap water in San Diego’s east county suburbs. The district’s water treatment plant serves four water districts and 500,000 people and its distribution system serves 278,000 people.