(News Release)
San Lorenzo Valley Water District secures additional generators to ensure power during future outages
BOULDER CREEK, Calif., — In 2019, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., and other California utilities instituted massive preemptive power shutoffs in 30 counties, designed to prevent wildfires during strong and dry winds.
Called public safety power shutoffs (PSPS), these events affected more than 3 million Californians, including those in Santa Cruz County.
The San Lorenzo Valley Water District relies on PG&E power to run its facilities throughout the valley. However, to safeguard against future PSPS events, the district has launched capital improvement projects that include the installation of new generators to help ensure power to pump stations, treatment plants, and wastewater facilities.
The district has installed six new stationary generators, bringing its total to 17 that supply power to two treatment plants, 11 pump stations, one wastewater facility, one intake facility, the District’s operations building and administration building.
In addition, SLVWD has secured four new mobile generators, bringing its total mobile generators to seven. These are capable of supplying power to seven well sites and 15 different pump stations.
The District askes customers that during PSPS outages, stick water conservation is implemented by customers saving water in case of fire.
About the District
The San Lorenzo Valley Water District was established in 1941 as an independent special district. The District is governed by a five-member Board of Directors, elected at-large from within the District’s service area. A special district is a local government agency formed by voters to perform a needed service, such as water or sewer. The District’s boundaries comprise approximately 60 square miles and 190 miles of pipeline. The District currently provides service to approximately 7,900 residential, commercial, and institutional connections. The District relies on both surface water and groundwater resources, including nine currently active stream diversions, one groundwater spring, and eight active groundwater wells. The District owns, operates, and maintains two water systems from separate water sources. These sources are derived solely from rainfall within the San Lorenzo River watershed. The District owns, operates, and maintains a wastewater system in Boulder Creek’s Bear Creek Estates..
Website: slvwd.com
