News Archives

Auburn, Calif.-ย  Directors of the Placer County Water Agency on Thursday (Nov. 21) adopted a combined 2014 calendar year budget of $90.8 million.

The combined budget includes a Water Division budget of $53.3 million, a Power Division budget of $33.3 million and an Agency Wide budget of $4.2 million.

PCWA Director of Financial Services Joseph H. Parker said, “The Water Division budget reflects the increased wholesale water costs the agency will pay to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company as well as the retail water rate increases approved earlier this year by the water agency board.”

“The reason for the water rate adjustment is primarily due to an increase of $3.8 million in the wholesale price PCWA will pay for water from PG&E starting in 2014,” said Parker, who noted that PCWA’s general operating costs have risen by an additional $1 million since its last water rate increase in 2009.

PCWA customers will see an average water rate increase of 9.1 percent in 2014, followed by a 3.7 percent increase in 2015.ย  Adjustments for inflation are planned in 2015-18.

The PCWA Water Division budget is supported primarily by customers receiving water utility service.ย  The Power System budget is derived through sales of hydroelectric energy while the Agency Wide budget is funded primarily through sales of water to other water purveyors in the region.

In other business, PCWA directors:ย 

  •  approved increases in a portion of miscellaneous charges including service installations, service set-ups, backflow prevention administration, pressure tests and others.  Approved a 1.5 percent increase in charges for private fire services.  The charges had not been adjusted since 2009 and will be effective January 1, 2014.
  • approved a $250,000 budget amendment to continue the agency’s water supply protection efforts as part of the Bay Delta planning process.  Local officials remain very concerned that Placer County water resources are at risk as the State of California attempts to solve long-standing water conflicts in the Delta.
  • heard a report from Director of Power Generation Services Jay L’Estrange on the agency’s dam safety program.  The plan, which is required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, has been revised over the past year and accepted by the FERC, L’Estrange reported.

PCWA board meetings are open to the public. Information on PCWA board meetings may be obtained through the Clerk to the Board at (530) 823-4850 or (800) 464-0030.ย 

Roseville Today is locally owned & community supported.
(21+ years strong)
Welcome to the brighter side!