About Us

Searles Valley Minerals (SVM) is one of the region's leading economic contributors. SVM produces compounds used in everyday products, including glass, detergents, flat-screen monitors, electronic parts, and fiberglass insulation. The company provides hundreds of high-wage jobs that fuel growth and opportunity for the residents of Ridgecrest and Kern County.

These are pass-through fees implemented by the Authority. Though they will appear on your water bill, the money collected goes to the Authority and not the District…This fee, as drafted, applies only to customers of the District and to Searles Valley Minerals.

There is no pending urgency, so why not let our businesses and citizens have more time to recover?... Our residents and businesses, who will shoulder this proposed fee, have been through major earthquakes and now the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Both affect their health and risk their financial well-being and their quality of life. We question the IWVGA’s desire to proceed towards a decision which may further imperil the financial well-being of our Valley’s citizens and businesses. The phrase ‘The beatings will stop once morale improves’ comes to mind.