New Placer County water treatment plant breaks ground, will serve Colfax to Applegate
COLFAX — A major investment is underway aimed at improving both water access and fire safety in Placer County.
The Placer County Water Agency broke ground just north of Interstate 80 on the new Colfax water treatment plant, serving foothill communities from Colfax to Applegate.
Safe drinking water is essential, and this project will greatly improve water quality for thousands of homes. It will also help keep this community safer when it comes to fighting wildfires.
"When you build for communities and homes, you also build for a fire system," said Andy Fecko, general manager of the water agency.
The new facility will replace one built 60 years ago that is now outdated, undersized, and nearing the end of its operational life.
"We were frankly out of capacity at the old treatment plant, and it uses an old treatment process that's not as good as the one we're putting in," Fecko said.
The new plant will nearly double treatment capacity from 1.2 to 2 million gallons per day, providing service to more homes, including those currently relying on groundwater wells.
"The water will be cleaner, there will be more of it, and we'll be able to get that water to more people," Fecko said.
It will also ensure enough supply for fire hydrants, important tools in protecting these vulnerable communities.
"The River Fire that came very close to burning down the city of Colfax, that's the kind of system we're aiming to improve so the community ends up safer," Fecko said.
The new Colfax facility is one of several projects supported by the California Department of Water Resources.
"There's nothing more fundamental than turning on the tap and trusting the water coming out and that it will come out when you turn it on," said Laurel Firestone, board member of the state Water Resources Control Board.
Officials say that the Colfax plant is a model, not just for this region but for others across California facing similar challenges.
"This project is really a model for how together the entire region can be stronger, and it's exactly the kind of thing we're funding and starting to see come to fruition across the state," Firestone said.
They broke ground on construction on Thursday, and they expect to have it complete within the next two years.
