Source: www.acwa.com

Sonoma Water GM Grant Davis Announces Retirement After Nearly Two Decades

Fetched 2026-07-01 08:01 from www.acwa.com

Reading Summary (AI-generated)

Reading Summary: Sonoma Water GM Grant Davis Announces Retirement

Key Facts

Grant Davis will retire August 25, 2026, after nearly 20 years at Sonoma Water, including 16 years as General Manager (since 2007)
Sonoma Water serves drinking water to 600,000+ residents in Sonoma and Marin counties and maintains nearly 100 miles of streams and detention basins for flood control
Davis oversaw creation of one of the nation’s first carbon-free water transmission systems using renewable energy investment
Key infrastructure achievements include updating the Lake Mendocino Water Control Manual for Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) and completing a new Bay Area weather radar network for atmospheric river forecasting
Sonoma Water secured a $47.8 million state grant for wastewater improvements in the Russian River County Sanitation District

Who Is Affected

Residents of Sonoma and Marin counties (600,000+ water users)
Federal, state, and tribal partners involved in the Two-Basin Solution for the Potter Valley Project
Salmon and steelhead (federally listed species) benefiting from Dry Creek habitat restoration
Regional partners in the North Coast Resource Partnership, North Bay Water Reuse Authority, and SF Bay Area IRWM Program

Policy/Legal Angle

No specific laws or court decisions are cited, but several notable regulatory/policy frameworks are referenced:
- Potter Valley Project / Two-Basin Solution — an ongoing FERC relicensing proceeding with major North Coast water supply implications
- Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) — updated Lake Mendocino Water Control Manual reflects this emerging federal-state operational policy
- Federal ESA implications underlie the salmon/steelhead watershed restoration work

Blog Angles

Leadership transition at a critical moment: Davis exits while the Potter Valley Project Two-Basin Solution remains unresolved — who leads Sonoma Water through that fight, and what’s the succession plan?
FIRO as a model: Davis championed the Lake Mendocino FIRO update — how replicable is this approach at other California reservoirs, and what’s the current status of statewide FIRO adoption?
Carbon-free water delivery: Sonoma Water’s claim of one of the nation’s first carbon-free transmission systems is a bold one — what does that actually look like operationally, and can it serve as a blueprint for other North Bay or California water agencies?

Full Text

Sonoma Water GM Grant Davis Announces Retirement After Nearly Two Decades

Member Submitted News

SANTA ROSA – Sonoma Water General Manager Grant Davis announced today that he will retire Aug. 25, 2026, after nearly 20 years with the agency, including the past 16 years as general manager.

Since joining Sonoma Water in 2007, Davis led the agency through a period of innovation and infrastructure investment while strengthening water supply reliability, environmental stewardship and wastewater services across Sonoma County. Under his leadership, Sonoma Water provided naturally filtered drinking water to more than 600,000 residents in Sonoma and Marin counties, maintained nearly 100 miles of streams and detention basins for flood protection and built one of California’s leading watershed restoration programs to benefit federally listed salmon and steelhead.

“Serving as Sonoma Water’s general manager has been the honor of my career,” Davis said. “I was fortunate to work alongside incredibly talented and dedicated people whose commitment to public service made every accomplishment possible. Sonoma Water is an extraordinary organization because of its people, and I am deeply grateful to the Board of Directors for their trust and support throughout my tenure.”

Sonoma Water Board Chair Rebecca Hermosillo praised Davis’ leadership and commitment to public service.

“Grant’s leadership strengthened Sonoma Water and established our agency as one with an exemplary reputation in water management and innovation,” Hermosillo said. “He built lasting partnerships, championed environmental stewardship and guided investments that will benefit our communities for generations. On behalf of the Sonoma Water Board of Directors, I thank Grant for his extraordinary service and wish him the very best in retirement.”

During Davis’ tenure, Sonoma Water created one of the nation’s first carbon-free water transmission systems by investing in renewable energy. The agency also helped establish the North Coast Resource Partnership, North Bay Water Reuse Authority and San Francisco Bay Area Integrated Regional Water Management Program, strengthening regional cooperation on water supply, water quality and climate resilience.

Davis also led Sonoma Water through several of the agency’s most significant accomplishments. Sonoma Water brought together regional, state, federal and tribal partners to advance the Two-Basin Solution for the Potter Valley Project, completed major habitat restoration along Dry Creek, updated the Lake Mendocino Water Control Manual to implement Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations, completed a new Bay Area weather radar network to improve atmospheric river forecasting and helped secure a $47.8 million state grant for critical wastewater improvements in the Russian River County Sanitation District.

Before joining Sonoma Water, Davis served as executive director of The Bay Institute, a science-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting the San Francisco Bay-Delta watershed. Earlier in his career, he worked for three members of Congress, a California state senator and an Assembly member. He also served as director of the California Department of Water Resources under Gov. Jerry Brown.

In his retirement letter to the Sonoma Water Board of Directors, Davis reflected on the agency’s culture of innovation.

“As a Board, you allowed us to innovate. You supported us in taking bold, informed risks,” Davis wrote. “It has been a wonderful ride. Thank you.”

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