TRUCKEE, Calif. — The Truckee Donner Public Utility District Board of Directors on Wednesday, Feb. 1, focused on upcoming water infrastructure projects that will strengthen the reliability of Truckee’s water system, as well as the introduction of a new planning and strategy process for the district’s public information department in order to better communicate with the community.

“This board meeting was all about how we listen to our customers and make investments to continue to provide high-quality, essential water and electric services,” said Brian Wright, TDPUD general manager. “We have heard our community’s desire for improved communications, and the implementation of new staff and this plan are a major step forward. The investments in the water system will also pay dividends for years to come.”

The board took action to award a $2.1 million contract for pipeline replacements in the Glenshire area on Wellington Way, Canterbury Lane, Courtenay Lane, and Oxford Circle. This upgrade is an important project that will improve water service and reliability in Glenshire by replacing aging systems. TDPUD is making a significant investment in its water infrastructure in 2023, with a number of projects planned totaling $14.8 million. These projects will span from Hirschdale to Tahoe Donner, and include the construction of a new pipeline, pump station and water tank, as well as replacing and rehabilitating aging pipelines and tanks. 

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While all of this will be a massive undertaking in many ways, it will serve the community well into the future. TDPUD has committed to maintaining its system and doing repair and rehabilitation work when the opportunity arises in order to extend the life of equipment and facilities, rather than allowing things to fall into disrepair, as well as factoring in how to best serve the growing needs of the community. 

TDPUD staff also presented an informational workshop to the board, for members to review and provide input on the 2023 communications plan and strategy. The public information department has set forth a strategy for how to best communicate with customers to share all TDPUD does and the many ways it serves customers, as well as the larger community. Given that the utility industry is highly-technical and complex, TDPUD will be focused on approaching its communications from a customer perspective, which includes not only prioritizing the information that is most important to their daily needs but also making sure it’s shared in a way everyone can understand.

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The plan lays out who TDPUD is, what it does, and how it does it, starting with the foundational themes of the organization. The TDPUD communication themes describe in the most basic way what it does for the community, and lays the groundwork for further education and understanding of the water and electric utility. District themes are:

• We provide essential, reliable services
• We help you save money
• We keep our community safe
• We promote sustainability
• We’re built for the mountain lifestyle
• We invest in our infrastructure
• We plan for the future
• We are the TDPUD

Information about TDPUD board meetings and access to agendas, minutes, live streaming and archived video can be found at tdpud.org/boardmeetings.