A history of the Ironhouse Sanitary District
Much like the community it serves, the Ironhouse Sanitary District has a long and storied history. Born in 1945, ISD blossomed from a small utility serving a rural town of a few hundred people to a thriving district that today provides for the sanitary services of nearly 30,000 customers. Following is a timeline highlighting important moments in ISD’s evolution.

July 2, 1945 — Oakley property owners present a petition to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to begin the process of forming a sanitary district.

Aug. 21, 1945 — Oakley approves a ballot measure calling for the formation of the Oakley Sanitary District by a unanimous 112-0 vote.

August 1945 — The district’s first board of directors is elected.

February 1946 — On a 122-2 vote, district property owners authorize a $30,000 bond for construction of a sewer line.

1964 — Concerned property owners in the Hotchkiss Tract area launch efforts to replace their overburdened septic tanks with a sewer system.

Nov. 21, 1967 — County Sanitation District No. 15 Citizen’s Advisory Committee is created in response to the Hotchkiss residents. A joint powers agreement (JPA) is later established with the Oakley Sanitary District.

1978 — Sewer system becomes operational in Sanitary District 15 boundaries.

March 29, 1977 — JPA is signed between Oakley and Bethel Island, establishing the Oakley-Bethel Island Wastewater Management Authority. OBIWMA’s board consists of two representatives each from Oakley Sanitary District and Sanitation District 15, plus one member at large.

Jan. 31, 1992 — Oakley Sanitary District annexes Bethel Island, the JPA is dissolved, and the district merges with OBIWMA and Sanitary District 15.

Feb. 1, 1992 — The new entity is renamed the Ironhouse Sanitary District (ISD), borrowing its name from a rural schoolhouse that once served the area of Oakley and Hotchkiss Tract. Two board members from the Bethel Island area are added.

1994 — ISD purchases 3,600 acres on Jersey Island for future disposal needs. New administration offices are constructed on Walnut Meadows Drive in Oakley.