The water system (Felton Water Company) was privately owned by one Florence Fetherston. It was sold to Citizen Utilities of California, a subsidiary of Citizen Utilities of Delaware, for $200,000.00 in October of 1961. Since Delaware at that time had corporation friendly laws many companies were registered in Delaware. The name remained Felton Water Co. serving 800 customers with a local office in Boulder Creek and no rate increase.

It was later that the company became known as Citizen Utilities of Minneapolis. It became Citizens Telecommunications after they sold off their water interests.

San Lorenzo Valley bought back their system from CUC in the mid sixties.

It was not uncommon for water systems to be privately owned from 1900 on in this area as wealthy landowners would develop their own systems. Many of these small systems were consolidated during the depression when people went bankrupt.