North Tahoe and Martis Valley MSR CHAPTER 11 Sierra Lakes County Water District Photo Courtesy of Placer County E-newsletter, October 2015. This Municipal Service Review (MSR) chapter describes the Sierra Lakes County Water District. This District was formed in 1961 and currently provides water treatment and distribution, and sewage collection services within its service area. Table of Contents 11.1: Agency Profile ................................................................................................. 11-2 11.2: Overview of District .......................................................................................... 11-3 11.3: Formation and Boundary .................................................................................... 11-5 11.4: Accountability and Governance ............................................................................ 11-7 11.5: Management Efficiencies and Staffing .................................................................... 11-8 11.6: Population and Growth ...................................................................................... 11-8 11.7: District Services .............................................................................................. 11-12 11.8: Financing ...................................................................................................... 11-18 11.9: Opportunities to Share Facilities ......................................................................... 11-22 11.10: Challenges .................................................................................................... 11-23 11.11: Service Adequacy ............................................................................................ 11-23 11.12: Determinations .............................................................................................. 11-24 11.13: References ................................................................................................... 11-28 Draft MSR, September 2016 Chapter 11, Sierra Lakes CWD 11-1 North Tahoe and Martis Valley MSR 11.1: AGENCY PROFILE Sierra Lakes County Water District Type of District: County Water District Enabling Legislation: County Water District Law: Water Code §§ 30000-33901 Functions/Services: Water treatment and distribution, and sewage collection Main Office: 7305 Short Road, Soda Springs, CA Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1039, Soda Springs, CA 95728 Phone No.: 530-426-7800 Fax No.: 530-426-1120 Web Site: slcwd.org Email: [email protected] General Manager: Bill Quesnel Email: [email protected] Phone: 530-550-8068 Fax: 530-550-8069 Board President: Karen Heald Phone: 530-426-7800 Fax: 530-426-1120 Governing Body: Elected Board of Directors – 4-year terms Name Role Terms Ends Karen Heald President 12/31/2016 Dan Stockton Director 12/31/2018 Bill Oudegeest Director 12/31/2018 Wade Freedle Director 12/31/2016 Michael Lindquist Vice President 12/31/2016 Meeting Schedule: Second Friday of each month at 6:00 p.m. Meeting Location: 7305 Short Road, Soda Springs, CA Date of Formation: February 28, 1961 Other: Landowner/registered voter district by special legislation (Water Code § 30700.6) Draft MSR, September 2016 Chapter 11, Sierra Lakes CWD 11-2 North Tahoe and Martis Valley MSR 11.2: OVERVIEW OF DISTRICT The Sierra Lakes County Water District (SLCWD/District) provides water service and sewage collection services. SLCWD contracts with Donner Summit Public Utility District (DSPUD) for treatment and disposal of its wastewater. This Municipal Service Review is the first for the District. TYPE AND EXTENT OF SERVICES The District provides domestic water service and sewage collection for its customers, transporting sewage to DSPUD for treatment and disposal. Primary activities for the District’s water system include repairs and maintenance of infrastructure (e.g., tanks, pipeline, and meters), water treatment, water testing, preparation of an annual report for state monitoring agencies and obtaining permits from state authorities. The District’s primary sewage system activities include sewage collection, and repairs and maintenance of infrastructure. SLCWD has an interagency agreement with DSPUD to provide wastewater treatment and disposal services. SLCWD collects and transports wastewater to the DSPUD wastewater treatment plant, and DSPUD treats and disposes of the effluent. The District’s FY 2012-2013 operating budget was $1,623,058. The District is a public corporation organized in 1961 under the County Water District Law of the California Water Code (Division 12, commencing at §30000) for the primary purpose of providing water to the residents of the Serene Lakes subdivision in Placer County. Approximately 804 of the 1,039 residential lots in Serene Lakes receive service from the Water District, and 200+ lots remain undeveloped. The District also provides water service and sewage collection to one commercial establishment within the District: Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Resort. Of the 1,060 total parcels in Serene Lakes, 1,039 are residential and 21 are for other uses. These other uses include 15 parcels for District use including the Lake bottom parcel (recently purchased by the District from the Truckee Donner Land Trust). Additionally, the water district owns one parcel that contains a fire station and one parcel that contains a beach and recreation facilities (owned by District and leased to the Serene Lakes Property Owners’ Association). Draft MSR, September 2016 Chapter 11, Sierra Lakes CWD 11-3 North Tahoe and Martis Valley MSR Figure 11.1: District-owned Parcels **Note: District-owned parcels are shown in green. The lake bottom parcel (shown in blue) is also owned by the District. Draft MSR, September 2016 Chapter 11, Sierra Lakes CWD 11-4 North Tahoe and Martis Valley MSR Another type of land-use is one privately owned parcel that contains the former Ice Lake Lodge (currently used as a three-family residence). The Royal Gorge cross country ski area is also located within the District boundaries. In addition to the water and wastewater services provided by the Sierra Lakes County Water District, the community receives fire protection services from the Truckee Fire Protection District1; police protection services from the Placer County Sheriffs Department; educational services from the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District; road services from the Placer County Public Works Department; and garbage removal and recycling are handled by a private firm, Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal, under contract, and located at the Eastern Regional Landfill. LOCATION AND SIZE The District is located in the unincorporated area of northeastern Placer County and encompasses approximately four square miles (2,450 acres). Two very small unincorporated communities, Soda Springs and Norden, are in closest proximity to the District, but the Town of Truckee is the major socioeconomic center of the region. SLCWD is in the Serene Lakes area of Placer County and in the watershed of the North Fork of the American River. 11.3: FORMATION AND BOUNDARY On February 28, 1961, SLCWD was formed by the Placer County Board of Supervisors. The District was incorporated on March 7, 1961. The District was initially formed to provide domestic water, sewage transmission, and sewage treatment in a community leachfield. DSPUD was also using the same form of treatment, and when the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) found this form of sewage treatment to be inadequate, DSPUD and SLCWD entered into a Service Agreement in 1971 for DSPUD to treat SLWCD’s wastewater. Since DSPUD’s construction of a wastewater treatment plant, the District has contracted with DSPUD to treat its wastewater. BOUNDARY HISTORY The formation of SLCWD effectively transferred water rights and the responsibility to provide water from a campground called the Sierra Lakes Club, to the District. Since that time, Sierra Lakes Club has been succeeded by eight different residential subdivisions and is now called Serene Lakes and totaling 1,060 parcels. The District boundary also includes 13 parcels outside the Ice Lakes/Serene Lakes development, including nine large parcels, undeveloped except for cross-country ski facilities owned by Truckee Donner Land Trust, one lot owned by Placer County, one lot owned by the District and containing a water storage tank. The District boundaries encompass approximately 2,450+ acres. Figure 11.2 shows the District boundaries and other significant District features. 1 http://www.truckeefire.org/ Draft MSR, September 2016 Chapter 11, Sierra Lakes CWD 11-5 Lake Van Norden s Rd. Kidd Lake S o d a S p r i n g s R d . Palisade Ice Lakes Lake P a l i s a d e C r e e k k e e r C a n e r e S P a l Sierra Lakes County Water District i s a d e Sphere of Influence C r e e k County Boundary 0 0.25 0.5 Parcels Miles Parcel, Roads and District Boundary from Placer County GIS. Figure 11-2 SIERRA LAKES COUNTY WATER DISTRICT North Tahoe and Martis Valley MSR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE On April 12, 2000, Placer LAFCo updated the District’s Sphere of Influence (SOI). The SOI is smaller than its actual boundary. It is not clear whether that was intentional or was a mapping error. It is recommended that Placer LAFCo review the SOI and consider aligning it to be co-terminus with the District boundaries. EXTRA-TERRITORIAL SERVICES The District does not provide any extra-territorial services outside its boundaries. AREAS OF INTEREST No specific areas outside the District boundaries have been identified that require services from the District. 11.4: