Placer County Water Agency completes consolidation with Castle City

Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) has completed a consolidation project with the Castle City Mobile Home Park in Newcastle, connecting all 282 residents to PCWA’s Foothill Water Treatment Plant.

Castle City originally approached PCWA about consolidation about six years ago as its system was nearing the end of its life.

“What was evident back then was that our system could not be relied upon to meet the long-term needs of the community,” said Castle City Manager Tim Belarde. “Boil water notices, due to low pressure issues, were becoming more common and there was serious concern about whether we had adequate flow for firefighting needs, especially as drought conditions increase our susceptibility to fire.”

Cost was a major obstacle for the consolidation project, as the mobile home park residents could not afford the fees to pay for construction costs. Thanks to funding from Prop 1, the project received $3.1 million to cover the cost of construction which was completed in July.

So far, the State Water Resources Control Board has helped water systems complete eight consolidations this year with funding from Proposition 1.

“We are very grateful for the commitment Placer County Water Agency has shown as it completes the consolidation with Castle City,” said Laurel Firestone, State Water Board member. “We applaud its vision to approach water resiliency with an inclusive regional plan that underscores our belief that access to safe and affordable drinking water is a fundamental human right.”

“When we can partner with others to improve the reliability and resiliency of smaller water systems through consolidation, it aligns perfectly with our stewardship responsibilities,” said PCWA Director of Technical Services Brent Smith. “The State Water Board’s involvement was essential to completing this consolidation.”