Starting in the late 1800's, water for McKinleyville came from private wells. By 1960, it was clear that McKinleyville's groundwater supply was not adequate for community needs. Additionally, serious concerns were raised regarding the quality of well water. The District's first challenge was to develop a safe and reliable source of supply to replace the private wells. After studying all…

Concerns regarding public health came to the forefront in the mid 1970's when numerous private septic systems failed in the central area of McKinleyville. Studies by the state proved that the cumulative septic discharge had exceeded that area's treatment capacity. MCSD was directed to resolve the problem by building a community collection system and interconnecting with a proposed regional…

In 1972, the residents of McKinleyville asked the District to help collect street light charges on the District's water bill. The Board agreed in concept to the proposal but determined that all the voters would need to approve this activity before the District could become involved. In June 1972, the voters of McKinleyville approved and agreed by a 66% margin to activate street lighting authority.