The Truckee Donner Public Utility District, a California public power utility, recently launched a community-focused educational campaign that highlights the unique characteristics of the region's water source and the infrastructure that delivers it to homes and businesses.
"Truckee is fortunate to have access to some of the highest quality water in California," said Brian Wright, TDPUD general manager. "Our water comes from the Martis Valley Groundwater Basin, where it's been naturally filtered over hundreds of years. We want our community to understand what makes our water special and how we responsibly manage this precious resource."
Unlike many communities that require extensive water treatment, Truckee’s water needs only minimal treatment -- just a small amount of chlorine is added as a state requirement, the utility noted.
The water originates from snowmelt runoff that naturally filters through mountain terrain before reaching the groundwater basin at depths of 600-950 feet.
Key facts about Truckee's water system include:
• Abundant supply: The Martis Valley basin holds approximately 480,000 acre-feet of water with a sustainable yield of 24,000 acre-feet per year
• Conservative usage: Current basin-wide usage is only 7,000 acre-feet annually
• Rigorous testing: Over 1,000 water samples are tested annually to ensure quality
• Minimal treatment: Water requires only minimal chlorination at the well-head before delivery to customers
Infrastructure Excellence in Mountain Terrain
The "Truckee's Water: Naturally Filtered. Responsibly Managed” campaign also highlights the complex infrastructure required to deliver our high-quality water across Truckee's varied mountain terrain.
TDPUD operates 13 wells, 26 pump stations, 35 tanks and 238 miles of pipeline to navigate an elevation gain of 2,850 feet from the lowest well to the highest storage tank.
"Delivering water in a mountain environment requires sophisticated engineering," explained Chad Reed, TDPUD water utility director. "Our system includes eight different pump zones to adapt to varied elevations, ensuring reliable water delivery throughout our service area while maintaining the water's cold, fresh quality."
Community Education and Engagement
The campaign features newly released infographics that visually explain Truckee's water journey from the Martis Valley basin to customers' taps. The educational materials will be shared through social media, ads, community events, and TDPUD's website at tdpud.org/your-water.
"Achieving local watershed stewardship plus service reliability and safety does not happen without planning, collaboration and resources," it noted.
TDPUD’s strategic plan and the budgets that follow are designed to protect our water resources, comply with regulations and balance affordability.
TDPUD is early in the process to develop the next two-year budget and rates with water rate workshops that were scheduled for Aug. 20 and Sept. 3, and a public hearing regarding proposed water rates on Nov. 19. TDPUD is inviting the community to participate in this process.
"We believe that when our community understands the value of what we have, they can better appreciate the infrastructure investments and management practices that protect this resource for future generations," said Steven Poncelet, TDPUD public information and strategic affairs director.
TDPUD is a public utility district created in 1927 and overseen by a locally-elected board of directors. TDPUD is a not-for-profit entity that provides the greater Truckee area with reliable and high-quality water and power services, while guiding the community to conserve resources.
