March 20, 2006 Contact: David A. Breninger

(530) 823-4850

or: Dave Carter

(530) 265-NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NAPA -- The Placer County Water Agency was recognized Friday (Mar. 17) for its excellent water management efficiency and best management practices in Northern California .

At its annual conference, the California Municipal Utilities Association held its 14 th annual award ceremony. There were 17 entries and PCWA received the recognition from CMUA for a water utility of under 80,000 water customers.

PCWA Director and 2005 Regional Water Authority chair Pauline Roccucci of Roseville accepted the award for the agency.

“We are very pleased with this prestigious award,” said Roccucci. “We feel that it is our obligation and responsibility to use our water supplies as effectively and efficiently as possible. This award shows we are working hard to continue to be on the right track and doing the right things for our customers and communities.”

Roccucci added, “The Agency was able to fully implement a successful and sustainable water efficiency program, and has also taken a leading role to elevate community and regional awareness to promote the best management practices for the use of water.”

A countywide water agency based in Auburn , PCWA supplies treated drinking water as well as irrigation water t o homes, businesses, farms and ranches across expansive Placer County . The agency has 165 miles of open canals, 466 miles of treated water distribution lines and serves 37,600 customers.

The agency began its enhanced water efficiency program in 2002 and by last year had fully implemented a series of best management practices as called for through its Sacramento Water Forum agreement. PCWA is the first local agency to fully implement its water use efficiency best management practices in the greater Sacramento region.

PCWA’s water efficiency practices cover a wide range of objectives, from minimizing water losses through leak detection and lining projects of agency canals and pipelines, to water meter replacement and plumbing retrofit programs, to home water audits, to water education in schools and at community events.

PCWA’s nomination for the award was endorsed by Leo Winternitz, executive director of the Sacramento Water Forum; Ed Winkler, executive director of the Regional Water Authority; Terry Davis, conservation coordinator for the Mother Lode chapter of the Sierra Club; and Ron Stork, senior policy advocate for Friends of the River.

The judges for this year’s CMUA awards were State Senators Robert Dutton and Martha Escutia, Assemblyman John Laird and California Urban Water Conservation Director Mary Ann Dickinson.

Also attending the awards ceremony at the Silverado in Napa was Agency General Manager David Breninger and Customer Services Director John Kingsbury.

Jerry Jordan, CMUA Executive Director, Pauline Roccucci, PCWA Director, District 1-Roseville, Marcie Edwards, CMUA President and Utility Director from the City of Anaheim .