Department of Public Utilities – History

The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) was officially created on January 7, 1992, when the Fresno City Council unanimously approved an action to separate the Water, Wastewater, and Solid Waste divisions from the Public Works Department and move them to their own organizational department.  Marvin D. Johnson was named Acting Director of the newly-created Department of Public Utilities.

The establishment of DPU as its own department was not designed to be a cost-saving measure, but the key reasoning for the reorganization included:

• The increased need to focus on environmental water issues
• Expanding state and federal regulations that were affecting all three utility services
• The need to improve utility operating efficiencies
• The benefits of concentrating “entrepreneurial” functions in one department
• The need to improve utility customer service. 

The creation of DPU as a separate department was timely.  Four years after DPU was created, Proposition 218 became law in 1996, making the regulatory requirements for properly administering public utility revenues and expenditures much more restrictive than before, with severe penalties for violations.  Having all three utilities concentrated in DPU ensures a focus on compliance with this and other utility-related regulatory requirements.

As additional regulations regarding utility operations continue to be passed by the state and federal governments, DPU is able to remain utility-focused, maintain the integrity of utility operations, and ensure compliance with all regulations.