Underground view of the Woodcreek Intertie connection under construction. Photo courtesy of PCWA

AUBURN, CA (MPG) - At the Feb. 19 Board meeting, the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) approved an agreement with the City of Roseville for the operation and maintenance of the Woodcreek Intertie, a connection between the two agencies’ water systems that provides a backup option in the event of emergencies or planned maintenance. The agreement strengthens regional water reliability for western Placer County and reflects a long-standing partnership focused on long-term planning.

Located along the border of the two agencies’ service areas, the Woodcreek Intertie is a 12-inch bi-directional connection with metering and telemetry. It allows PCWA and Roseville to move water in either direction when needed, adding flexibility and redundancy to the regional water system.

"Its advanced metering and telemetry capabilities allow us to monitor and control operations remotely 24/7, so we can respond quickly and effectively, especially in the event of an emergency," said Jeremy Shepard, Director of Technical Services. “Its design allows us to move water in either direction, ensuring operational flexibility and resilience when it matters most.”

Under the agreement, the intertie will be used primarily for emergencies, but also for planned maintenance outages or mutual aid requests. Operations will follow protocols outlined in the agencies’ water supply contract and future mutual aid agreements.

The Woodcreek Intertie is part of a broader regional strategy to create a robust network of interconnections envisioned in the 2017 Placer Ranch Potable Water Master Plan, outlined for the Placer One development. It fulfills key objectives such as redundancy and operational flexibility. “The more interties you have, the stronger your system becomes in times of emergencies,” Shepard added. “It gives us more flow options and greater reliability.”

PCWA currently maintains nine interties with the City of Roseville under the agencies’ long-standing water supply contract. The Woodcreek Intertie adds to this network, and additional projects, such as the Five-Star Intertie now under construction, will further strengthen regional water security.

Gray Allen, District 1 Director, emphasized the collaborative effort: “This project is a testament to the strong partnership between PCWA and our valued partners at the City of Roseville. Together, we are building a reliable water future for western Placer County.”

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