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.
Board of Directors
PCWA is governed by a five-member Board of Directors, each elected to a four-year term by registered voters within five geographic districts of Placer County. The boundaries of each district coincide with Placer County's supervisorial districts. Each Director represents their district's residents and the broader community within PCWA's 1,500-square-mile county-wide jurisdiction of the county.
DISTRICT 1
Gray Allen
DISTRICT 2
Primo Santini
DISTRICT 3
Chris Wilson
DISTRICT 4
Robert Dugan
DISTRICT 5
Joshua Alpine
Director Districts
PCWA At-a-Glance
343,000
acre-feet of reservoir storage capacity
236,900
acre-feet of water delivery capacity
44,500
customers provided with water service
1957
the year the Agency was created
1,500
square miles of service area
664
miles of treated water pipeline
232
megawatts of reliable hydropower capacity
170
miles of canal
9
water treatment plants delivering safe drinking water
5
powerhouses supplying clean hydroelectric energy to the CA grid
238
full time employees
5
member Board of Directors, elected by the people of Placer County, and serving 4-year terms
Water Service Overview
The Placer County Water Agency delivers two types of water, treated water and untreated water, to two types of customers, retail and wholesale customers, throughout Placer County, California. To see an overview of our customer base and a map of where we serve water, see here.
Treated Water
Treated water, or potable drinking water, is water that has been processed and purified to meet state and federal drinking water standards. PCWA produces treated water at nine water treatment plants and delivers it through 664 miles of pipeline to residential, commercial, and industrial customers.
Untreated Water
Untreated water, or raw water, is water sourced directly from natural waterways or reservoirs, and is commonly used by farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural operations, as well as some homeowners for landscape irrigation. This water is conveyed through an extensive system of 170 miles of canals, flumes and tunnels owned and operated by PCWA.
Retail Customers
PCWA provides retail water service directly to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers in communities, cities, and towns from Alta down to Rocklin and Roseville. Treated water is delivered through PCWA's distribution system, while untreated water is available for irrigation.
Wholesale Customers
PCWA provides both treated and untreated wholesale water service to several local providers. Untreated, or raw, water from the Middle Fork Project is delivered to the City of Roseville, San Juan Water District, and other local providers, which operate their own treatment facilities. PCWA also supplies wholesale treated water to California American Water (CalAm), the City of Lincoln, and other local providers.
Financial Snapshot
This snapshot highlights key financial information—view our full Financial Reports here.
Water Division Credit Outlook
AAA
Standard & Poor's rating
5.86
Debt service coverage ratio
(Ideal ratio=2 or higher)
16%
Debt ratio
Agency Assets and Net Position
$694M
Investments in capital assets
$89M
Agency reserves
$302M
Cash & Investments
$58M
Capital assets currently under construction
$60M
Outstanding debt
$36M
Retirement commitment
Agency Performance
$0M
Agency Revenue
$0M
Operating Budget
$0M
Funded 2025 Budget Capital Investment Program
Adjusted Agency Budget
This snapshot highlights key budget information—view the full 2025 budget here.
Total Budget
Projected Agency Revenue
Sources by Division
Grants
Funding Strategy
By leveraging grant funding, PCWA helps reduce pressure on rate increases while advancing critical projects that benefit the community and environment
Placer County Water Agency maintains key relationships with state and federal agencies for many reasons. In recent years, the Agency has become more focused on strengthening those relationships to track available funding and competitive grant opportunities that could support various water-related projects and initiatives. With large Federal investment packages such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 and Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 making once-in-a-generation resources available, the Agency has become highly motivated to compete for its fair share of funds.
Further, PCWA's capital investment needs over the next five years for infrastructure modernization and resource management are larger than they have ever been. This has resulted in a priority to attract outside funding from other sources to match and spread PCWA investment dollars as widely as possible.
Over the past few years, PCWA has been more successful with several competitive applications resulting in approximately $30 million dollars in grant funds being awarded to PCWA. These grants are helping to fund critical infrastructure, resource management, and stewardship efforts, ensuring that PCWA can deliver reliable water service while meeting environmental and regulatory standards.