SLVWD GRAPPLING TO REPAIR $2.8M IN STORM-RELATED DAMAGES & ASSISTING BIG BASIN WATER COMPANY

JAN 31, 2023 — BOULDER CREEK — The San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) announces the January storms had a big impact on water infrastructure. SLVWD sustained damage to multiple water main pipelines servicing Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Ben Lomond, and Felton. PG&E outages lead to further issues, damaging pumps and forcing SLVWD crews to manually operate the water system to prevent water outages for customers.

“The January storms compounded damages from the 2020 CZU Complex fires, creating even more challenging conditions for our community and staff,” said San Lorenzo Valley Water District Manager, Rick Rogers.

While dealing with SLVWD’s own infrastructure loss, the SLVWD extended its staff to Big Basin Water Company to repair water main breaks and provide water to the small water agency’s customers after storm-caused erosion on China Grade Road, Branson Road, and other areas in Big Basin’s service Area. “We are glad SLVWD has the resources to lend a helping hand to a struggling neighboring water agency. Being without power is manageable, but having no access to safe potable water, is unacceptable,” explained Rick Rogers.

Big Basin Water serves approximately 450 connections. A majority of Big Basin Water customers lost water service in the beginning of January. In response, the SLVWD set up a free water fill station in Boulder Creek where Big Basin Water customers could access potable water during service interruptions.

The allocation of District staff time and resources to Big Basin Water is considered mutual aid to the neighboring community/water system. The District qualifies for disaster relief funding, unlike Big Basin Water, which has different and limited funding opportunities as a private water agency. The Board of Directors monitored progress with consistent updates during the Storms.

At the January SLVWD Board of Directors (Board) meeting, the Board commended SLVWD staff for their tireless dedication to the community and neighboring communities throughout the challenging storm conditions.

ABOUT THE SAN LORENZO VALLEY WATER DISTRICT

The San Lorenzo Valley Water District is located in the mountains of northern Santa Cruz County. The district serves more than 7,500 metered connections. Established in 1941, the district supplies water to the communities of Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Ben Lomond, Zayante, Quail Hollow, Scotts Valley,

Whispering Pines, Manana Woods, and Felton. For more information, visit www.slvwd.com or follow the District on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Nextdoor.