Tahoe Cedars Water System Reconstruction Project

Project Overview

In January 2018, TCPUD acquired the Mid-Sierra Water Utility (Tahoe Cedars and Madden Creek water systems) and began operating both systems. In March 2021, the TCPUD Board of Directors adopted a comprehensive Tahoe Cedars Water System Master Plan, which recommended the full replacement of the existing system, which was originally constructed in the 1940s and is actively failing. Following a series of long-term financial planning sessions, the Board directed staff to proceed with design and permitting, development of project implementation plans, and financing plans for the full reconstruction of the Tahoe Cedars water system.

Fully reconstructing the Tahoe Cedars water system is a unique undertaking for TCPUD. It is significantly larger, more complicated, and more expensive than any previous TCPUD water system reconstruction project and is currently estimated to cost $37 million (does not include costs for relocating water service lines from backyards to the street). Funding sources for this project will include water rates, property tax revenue, the Infrastructure Improvement Charge, and potential grants.
 

Planned Improvements

Infrastructure improvements will include:

  • Replace 15 miles of undersized and failing water mains.
  • Relocate 632 water service lines from backyards to the street.
  • Install 97 new fire hydrants.
  • Install over 1,000 residential water meters.

Project benefits include the delivery of secure and reliable drinking water and improved fire protection within the water system service area.

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Project Status

Updated: 1/3/2025

TCPUD continues to make steady progress with this complex project, including work on preliminary design, environmental compliance, and securing necessary funding. We anticipate this project will involve multiple construction phases that will be implemented over 4 to 5 years.

To streamline design and construction of this project, TCPUD will use a Design-Build approach called Progressive Design Build. This will allow TCPUD to simplify the contracting process and work collaboratively with the design-builder to meet the project goals with cost and time efficiency. We expect to select a Design-Build contractor in early 2025. While we are hoping to begin initial construction in 2025, the locations of the construction phases have yet to be determined.

Completed Improvements

  • Replaced chronically failing water mains on 2nd Avenue.
  • Installed an interconnection between the Tahoe Cedars water system and an adjacent TCPUD water system to provide critical backup water supply.
Private Service Relocation

In portions of the Tahoe Cedars water service area, the existing water mains are located in backyard alignments outside of the public right of ways (‘back of lots’). System reconstruction will include abandoning these water mains and installing new water mains in the street. Where this occurs, a property’s private water service connection will need to be relocated from the back to the front of the property at the street.

 

TCPUD is working on a Private Service Relocation Policy to address properties that have the existing water main located in a backyard alignment outside of the public right of way. TCPUD will notify affected property owners when this policy is presented to the TCPUD Board of Directors, which is expected to occur sometime this summer.

Learn more on the Service Lateral Relocation FAQs:

Questions? Please email or call 530-583-3796. 

Sign Up For Project E-Mail Updates by visiting www.tcpud.org/join and selecting the District: Tahoe Cedars Homeowners E-Mail list.