Placer County Water Agency Updates

Auburn, Calif. – Recent stakeholder interviews, presented to the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) Board of Directors on Feb. 5, 2015, showed renewed interest in the Sacramento River Regional Water Supply Project. The project seeks to pursue a Sacramento River diversion to provide a reliable and safe water supply for the Placer-Sacramento region’s economic health and planned development through 2030. 

PCWA Director of Technical Services Brent Smith noted that, “not only would a Sacramento River diversion help to diversify and increase the reliability of the region’s water supply but it would also help to preserve fishery, wildlife, recreational, and aesthetic values of the Lower American River.”

“The concept for this project originated in the early 90s; it’s exciting to see a renewed interest among our regional partners,” Dave Breninger, PCWA General Manager said.

West Yost Associates, the company designated by PCWA and its partners to develop a project framework that will re-conceptualize the Sacramento River Water Supply Project, presented its initial findings to the board at its regular board meeting.

Charles Duncan, PE, President and Chief Operating Officer of West Yost Associates, expressed a very positive outlook from the project’s partners. “Findings conveyed a shared interest in how the project would address growth, development, reliability, as well as protect the Lower American River,” Duncan said. 
      
The project is currently made up of 10 regional partners, with PCWA designated as the project’s administrative agency. Project partners include PCWA, City of Roseville, City of Folsom, City of Sacramento, Sacramento County Water Agency, Rio Linda/Elverta Community Water District, Sacramento Suburban Water District, Citrus Heights Water District, El Dorado County Water Agency and California American Water Company.  The Sacramento Water Forum and the environmental caucus are key partners in this project as well.

 In other business, PCWA directors:

• heard from Deputy Director of Technical Services, Tony Firenzi, who is serving as the agency’s drought project manager. Firenzi said that with precipitation at 72% of normal and low mountain snowpack, PCWA and PG&E continue to operate mountain water systems “very conservatively” and thanked the community for “continued excellence in conservation.”
• heard from Kathleen Shaffer, Leadership Auburn Chair, who expressed gratitude to the agency for their annual program contribution. Leadership Auburn, a program of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is designed to identify and empower current and future community leaders who will develop broad knowledge and experience, and help create a spirit of cooperation to effectively address future community challenges. The program has been running for more than 15 years and has nearly 300 graduates, many of whom currently serve the Auburn community.
• heard from Greg McKenzie of PG&E regarding a new distribution control center being built in Rocklin. The facility will be one of three state-of-the-art electric control centers in the state.

The Board adjourned the meeting to February 9th at 8:30 a.m. for a closed session item related to the recruitment of the General Manager. 

The next regular meeting of the PCWA Board of Directors will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19, at the PCWA Business Center, 144 Ferguson Road, in Auburn. 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.

About PCWA

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.