TAHOE CITY, Calif. – At the May 19 meeting of the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) Board of Directors, the Board awarded five grants totaling $250,000 to three public water purveyors in Placer County.

Funded through PCWA’s Financial Assistance Program, these grants support Placer County water districts with projects that enhance safe and reliable drinking water service, water infrastructure reliability, and water and energy resources stewardship. Funding for these grants comes from Agency-wide revenue, not ratepayers.

“This year, we received a dozen requests for grants through our Financial Assistance Program,” said Board Chairman Robert Dugan. “This is our opportunity to assist other county water purveyors with projects that address their unique challenges while aligning with our countywide priorities. The projects chosen all help assure safe, reliable water for our county’s future.”

Three grants – totaling $178,000 – will go to the North Tahoe Public Utility District (NTPUD). One grant ($75,000) will help cover costs for hiring a consultant to complete a Water System Consolidation Study. The other two grants will be used to install two interties at Dollar Cove between NTPUD and Fulton Water Company.

Also receiving grants are Donner Summit Public Utility District (DSPUD) and Tahoe City Public Utility District (TCPUD). Each district will receive funding needed for much larger, ongoing projects:

• The DSPUD will use its $42,000 grant for surveying, hydraulic modeling and cost estimating for inclusion in a preliminary design report for an interconnection with Sierra Lakes County Water District. That project is estimated to cost $881,000.
• TCPUD requested and received $30,000 towards its $2.6 million Tahoe Swiss Village Utility Consolidation Project. The grant will be used to install water meters to make near-term system improvements and comply with state-mandated water-use efficiency standards.

Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) is the primary water resource agency for Placer County, California, with a broad range of responsibilities including water resource planning and management, retail and wholesale supply of drinking water and irrigation water, and production of hydroelectric energy.