Dear Tahoe Cedars Water System Customer:
In August, TCPUD joined Tahoe Cedars Property Owners’ Association members at their Annual Meeting held at Marie Sluchak Park and presented updates on projects and initiatives that impact our Tahoe Cedars Water System customers.
We want to provide a recap of specific updates shared by TCPUD that will shape the future of improvements in your water system.
TCPUD acquired and began operating the Tahoe Cedars Water System (TCWS) in January 2018 knowing urgent investments in the aging water system were necessary. Immediate improvements included an interconnection to the McKinney Quail water system to provide a critical backup water supply and repairs to numerous leaks throughout the system. To date, TCPUD has invested over $2 million in infrastructure improvements in the TCWS.
The TCPUD Board of Directors adopted a comprehensive TCWS Master Plan in March 2021. The Master Plan recommended the complete replacement of the existing system, originally constructed in the 1940s and which is now actively failing. Following a series of Long-Term Financial Planning sessions, the Board authorized staff to proceed with the design, permitting, and development of project implementation plans for the full reconstruction of TCWS.
The full reconstruction project currently estimated at $37 million, over 8 years, will:
- Replace 15 miles of undersized and failing water mains to:
- ensure adequate water flow and pressure for fire suppression
- minimize frequent ruptures and leaks
- remove the moratorium on fire hydrant flow testing
- relocate approximately 632 water service lines from backyards to the street
- Install 97 new fire hydrants to meet current spacing requirements for fire protection
- Install over 1,000 residential water meters to achieve water conservation measures
The cost, scale, and complexity of fully reconstructing the TCWS water system is a unique undertaking for TCPUD. For comparison, the most recent water system reconstruction project completed by the TCPUD was the formerly private Timberland water system. The Timberland reconstruction project, completed over two construction seasons, included the replacement of approximately 1.6 miles of water mains, 18 new fire hydrants, and the installation of 136 residential water meters at a cost of $3.5 million. The TCWS reconstruction project is significantly larger, more complicated, and more expensive than previous reconstruction projects.
We look forward to providing additional information and staying engaged with you on this priority project. Please email dspringsteel@tcpud.org or call 530-580-6291 to update your contact information on our customer list to receive periodic, important updates and information focused on the Tahoe Cedars reconstruction project.
