Tuolumne Utilities District, the agency that provides water and wastewater services to more than 40,000 people in Tuolumne County, has a $45.6 million grant loan from the state to build a new 3 million gallon water treatment plant per day received former Sierra Pines golf course in Twain Harte.
The grant loan award is the largest TUD has received since its founding in 1992. It exceeds the total cost of the recently completed Sonora Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility on Southgate Drive of $42.2 million and is more than double the agency's current total budget for annual operating expenses of $22.7 million, TUD said -General Manager Don Perkins on Thursday.
The funding will allow TUD to consolidate up to six of the agency's 11 approved treated water systems and replace aging facilities and tanks in Cedar Ridge, Crystal Falls, Lakewood, Phoenix Lake Park, Ponderosa Hills and Scenic View, Perkins said. The overall goal is to integrate smaller, outdated water treatment plants into a regional, modernized facility.
Construction of the new Sierra Pines facility is expected to begin in 2026 and be completed by 2029.
“Our mission was to consolidate as many of these systems as possible, including water tanks, booster stations and wells,” Perkins said in a telephone interview.
The grant loan comes from the Financial Assistance Division of the State Water Resources Control Board.
The new facility will have an initial treatment capacity of 3 million gallons per day and will be built to accommodate future growth and allow expansion to up to 5 million gallons per day. Future flexibility will support greater consolidation of other TUD water treatment facilities, including the Monte Grande and Tuolumne facilities.
The efficiencies achieved by consolidating aging infrastructure at the new Sierra Pines facility will ultimately result in lower operating costs for TUD, Perkins said.
“All the plants we want to consolidate would need millions of dollars in capital improvements if it weren’t for this new grant,” Perkins said.
The agency acquired the Sierra Pines property in 2008 and began planning for a future water treatment plant in 2010, said TUD spokeswoman Emily Long. TUD staff have worked on preliminary designs, environmental studies, permits and grant applications for the past five years.
The new facility will be built on 46 acres of the former Sierra Pines golf course. Plans include creating a 25-acre raw water reservoir that will provide more water storage during ditch failures, droughts and emergencies.
“Proven, advanced technology to ensure increased reliability and superior water quality for TUD customers” will be among the features of the new facility, TUD said. The goal is to “streamline operations and improve water treatment capabilities in the district’s service area by integrating various other TUD water facilities in the future.”
Centralizing water treatment at the new facility “will result in direct and indirect cost savings over time for both the district and its customers,” TUD said, as centralized facilities are inherently more efficient and result in lower operating costs and improved maintenance options .
The State Water Resources Control Board's grant award includes a $27.4 million grant, a $10 million interest-free loan and an $8.1 million low-interest loan, according to TUD is consistent with the budgets, capital improvement plans and other strategic plan adopted by the county board.
“This funding represents a significant achievement in the 16-year phase to date
Seeking to enable the District to fully implement its long-term water system consolidation
Vision,” Perkins said.
“The Sierra Pines Regional Water Treatment Plant will be a cornerstone of our water infrastructure and we are excited to launch this transformative project,” he continued. “There is still much work ahead, but we thank everyone who contributed to reaching this milestone and those who will help make this critical project a reality.”
Current TUD board chair Jeff Kerns said the approval of $45.6 million in state funding was “a monumental step forward” for TUD.
The agency thanked stakeholders who supported TUD's plans for the new facility, including the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians; U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove; the district supervisory board; former acting Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor Elizabeth Martinez; former state senator Andreas Borgeas; and former Rep. Frank Bigelow.
Consolidating multiple systems is a proven strategy to make alcohol consumption more resilient in California
water systems, said Joe Karkoski, deputy director of the State Water Resources Control Board and chief of the board's financial assistance division.
“TUD’s customers have benefited for decades by having their diverse water systems governed by a unified management and governance structure,” Karkoski said.
With the Sierra Pines facility, TUD continues its efforts to physically connect its systems, significantly improving its ability to address current and future water supply challenges, Karkoski said.
Preliminary design renderings are not representative of the final architecture and materials for the new Sierra Pines facility, Long said. Details are expected to be finalized in 12 to 16 months.
The $45.6 million financing agreement for the Sierra Pines Power Plant is one of the largest grants awarded by the state through the California Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, TUD said. It represents the state's commitment to water system consolidation, affordability and reliability.
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