Turning the tap for the new Bianchi Estates water supply are (from left) PCWA District 1 Director Pauline Roccucci, Ed Winkler, executive director of the Regional Water Authority, Roseville City Councilman Richard Roccucci and John Woodling of the California Dept. of Water Resources.

A rural neighborhood in fast-growing western Placer County, California, now has a more reliable and higher quality water supply. The Placer County Water Agency with the California Department of Water Resources in cooperation with the Regional Water Authority and City of Roseville recently combined efforts to successfully convert a well water dependent system to surface water.

Known as Bianchi Estates, with 46 homes, the small community developed in the early 1980s using well water as its source of supply. The water agency was asked to take over the water system in 1980. Ever since, the water agency has operated the developer installed groundwater system as service Zone 2.

Facing more than $525,000 in needed renewal and replacement to the aging well, casing, pump, redwood tank and related infrastructure, plus costs to address future enhanced safe drinking water standards for groundwater, water agency engineers looked into various alternatives. The most cost-effective and better water quality solution focused on an opportunity to convert Zone 2 from groundwater to a nearby surface water system. This cost was estimated at $127,000 for necessary piping, master meter and other infrastructure for the surface water conversion compared to the over half a million dollar groundwater system refurbishment alternative. Also, water use efficiency, water pressure reliability and water quality assurance were additional factors favoring the surface water alternative.

The 46 homes in Zone 2 are in close proximity to the City of Roseville, California. The City operates a surface water system. The water agency arranged with the City to supply surface water to Zone 2 in exchange for the agency providing surface water to other areas of the city through the water agency’s separate Zone 1 surface water system.

Additionally, the water agency, with the Regional Water Authority, applied to the California Department of Water Resources for a grant for Zone 2 from Proposition 13 funds. Conversion of Zone 2 to surface water was encouraged by DWR and RWA for its benefit toward regional groundwater recharge and water use efficiency attributes. State grant funding helped to underwrite a portion of the costs for Zone 2’ transition from groundwater to surface water. Work began in March and was completed in July, this year.

A dedication was hosted by the water agency upon the conclusion of the construction phase for the new surface water supply on July 29 with local homeowners and representatives of DWR, RWA, and City of Roseville attending.

The water agency is a multi-faceted water resource agency that serves six cities and many rural communities in Placer County with water (with over 34,128 retail customer accounts) and is a major generator of hydroelectric power (240 MW) through operation of its Middle Fork American River Project.