Imperial Irrigation District

This weekend, the Imperial Irrigation District will begin the third wave of a voluntary on-site shelter-in-place program for a core group of employees to ensure the reliability of the district’s energy system and to keep employees safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

IID is California’s third largest public power provider, serving 155,000 customer accounts in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys, representing a population of approximately 450,000.

The third phase of the district’s sequestration program will involve 10 employees who will work 12-hour shifts over 21 consecutive days, housed at designated critical IID facilities 24 hours a day.

The sheltered employees will continue to maintain the district’s essential energy operations, which are important to customers who rely on these services in the harsh desert climate of the Imperial and Coachella Valleys.

“IID continues to demonstrate its commitment to serving our customers and keeping everyone safe,” said Henry Martinez, IID general manager. “We are very proud of our dedicated employees who are doing this work and heeding the call to service so IID can continue to provide essential services without interruption.”

IID began the sequestration program, which is voluntary on the part of employees considered to have critical operational skills, in late April. Each wave has consisted of a three-week period.

The third wave of the shelter-in-place program begins at 6 a.m. Saturday, June 6. It is part of the district’s Pandemic Response Plan to mitigate employee exposure and assist in ensuring the continuity of customer service. The emergency measure recognizes the importance of the district’s employees in continuing the delivery of critical utilities to customers and the importance of maintaining a safe workplace.