Placer County Water Agency weighs consolidation with Heather Glen district

With the goal of improving water reliability in smaller communities, the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) board authorized evaluating a potential consolidation with the Heather Glen Community Services District at a meeting Oct. 21. The PCWA's board decision followed a formal request by the Heather Glen district to be included within PCWA's Colfax to Applegate Regionalization Study, which is partly examining whether consolidation with smaller water districts can increase the safety and reliability of drinking water for residents in the area. Consolidation is the process of providing opportunities for smaller community water systems to connect, at their request, to larger adjacent water systems. In recent years, consolidations have become a more focused consideration of PCWA's operations as smaller water purveyors throughout the county struggle to keep up with increasing regulatory requirements and the high cost of replacing aging infrastructure. "In Placer County, there are 128 publicly and privately owned water systems," said PCWA Director of Technical Services Brent Smith. "When we can improve the reliability and resiliency of smaller water systems through consolidation, it aligns perfectly with our stewardship responsibilities." This summer, PCWA completed a consolidation with the Castle City Mobile Home Park in Newcastle. In 2022, the agency anticipates beginning construction of new infrastructure in a consolidation with Dutch Flat Mutual Water Company. PCWA has also received a request to study consolidation from the Christian Valley Community Service District. "As a countywide agency and the primary water provider for Placer County, PCWA strives to make sure all Placer County residents have access to safe and reliable drinking water," said PCWA Board Chairman Josh Alpine.