Cucamonga Valley Water District

Cucamonga Valley Water District, also known by the acronym CVWD, is a public utility that provides water, wastewater and recycled water services to customers within its service area in southern California. The organization operates as a special district under California state law and is headquartered in the United States of America. Its core mission centers on delivering reliable water resources while adhering to regulatory standards governing public health and environmental protection. As a governmental entity, CVWD is accountable to the communities it serves through an elected board of directors and various advisory committees.

On August 26 2019, CVWD disclosed a data breach that affected its third‑party payment portal, Click2Gov, which was operated by the vendor Central Square. Unauthorized access occurred over several weeks on a server that processed one‑time customer credit card payments for water bills. The breach was identified after suspicious activity was detected on the payment processing system, prompting an immediate investigation by the district and its forensic partners. Although the intrusion involved the payment portal, investigators found no conclusive evidence that personal information had actually been exfiltrated from the system.

In response to the breach, Central Square remedied the vulnerability that had allowed the unauthorized access, thereby preventing any further intrusion into the payment server. The vendor also offered complimentary credit monitoring services to customers whose payment card data may have been exposed as a precautionary measure. CVWD worked closely with Central Square to verify the scope of the incident and to ensure that all affected individuals were informed about the potential risk. The district emphasized that the breach did not impact every customer and that its internal systems remained secure throughout the episode.

Following the incident, CVWD announced that it was reassessing its relationship with third‑party vendors and reviewing its security protocols to strengthen protection against similar threats. The district reiterated its commitment to safeguarding customer data and highlighted its proactive notification process as part of its transparency efforts. By addressing the vulnerability, offering credit monitoring, and communicating openly with the public, CVWD aimed to maintain trust while continuing to provide essential water and wastewater services to the community.