Placer County Water Agency

Name

Placer County Water Agency

Legal name

Placer County Water Agency

Website

https://pcwa.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Digital Self-Service & Customer Portals (web/mobile, e-bill, notifications, consumption dashboards) (EUANAIAI)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Drinking water supply
• Irrigation water delivery
• Water resource planning
• Hydroelectric power generation

Headquarters

HQ city

Auburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Treated Water Service: Monthly water rates charged to residential and commercial customers for treated drinking water delivery. Rates fund ongoing operations, maintenance, and water delivery through existing connections.
2. Untreated/Irrigation Water Service: Canal water delivery service for irrigation purposes, charged to agricultural and landscaping customers. Seasonal service with rates based on water usage.
3. Connection Charges: One-time connection charges for new customers to fund new facilities that serve future water needs. Charge varies by lot size, location, and necessary infrastructure requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Placer County Water Agency is the primary water resource agency for Placer County, California, providing retail and wholesale supply of treated drinking water and untreated irrigation water, plus hydroelectric power generation. It serves over 120 publicly and privately owned water systems across the county through 170 miles of canals and multiple treatment facilities, with resources drawn from high-priority American River water rights. Customer-facing services include a 24/7 online Customer Service Portal, water quality reporting, rebate programs, and infrastructure consolidation support for small water systems.

Product overview

Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) is a public water utility serving Placer County, California, providing water resource planning and management, retail and wholesale supply of irrigation and drinking water, and hydroelectric energy production. PCWA's core offerings include the Customer Service Portal for billing and account management, water quality reporting through Consumer Confidence Reports, and interactive web tools including the Fire Hydrant Map, Water Year Dashboard, and Treated Water Service Interruption Viewer. The agency operates extensive infrastructure including 170 miles of canals and multiple water treatment facilities. Supporting services include water conservation rebate programs (Water Leak, Lawn Replacement, Irrigation, Smart Controller, HET, Washer), educational programs (Go to School on Leaks, Water Wise House Calls), and community demonstration gardens. Major infrastructure projects include the Ophir Project (new water treatment plant), Colfax Water Treatment Plant replacement, and various pipeline projects. PCWA also publishes the annual Fire & Water magazine and maintains planning documents including the UWMP and WSCP.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Treated Water Service Monthly treated drinking water delivery service providing safe, reliable drinking water meeting or exceeding State and Federal public health standards to residential and commercial customers across Placer County communities.
• Untreated Irrigation Water Service Canal water delivery service for agricultural and landscaping customers, providing seasonal untreated water through PCWA's 170 miles of canals and PG&E-operated canal systems.
• Customer Service Portal Online utility billing system providing 24/7 account access, autopay registration, paperless billing, payment processing, water use monitoring, and self-service customer support for residential and commercial customers.
• Water Conservation Rebate Programs Water conservation rebates including Water Leak Rebate (up to $1,000 residential, $2,000 commercial), Lawn Replacement (up to $3,000 residential, $15,000 commercial), Untreated Water Tank, Irrigation Efficiencies, Smart Controller, High-Efficiency Toilet/Urinal, and High-Efficiency Clothes Washing Machine rebates.
• Water System Consolidation Program Program consolidating smaller water systems into PCWA's network to provide sustainable water service, regulatory compliance, and infrastructure upgrade support, with priority for disadvantaged communities along the I-80 corridor.
• Water Treatment and Pipeline Infrastructure Projects Major infrastructure capital projects including the new Colfax Water Treatment Plant (2 MGD, expandable to 3 MGD), Rocklin Pipeline Replacement ($24M), Old State Highway Pipeline ($2.4M joint with SPMUD), and Ophir Project (10 MGD expandable to 30 MGD) to serve western Placer County growth.
• Ophir Project Water Treatment Infrastructure New 10 MGD water treatment plant (expandable to 30 MGD) and pipeline network to serve western Placer County growth areas including Bickford Ranch and Placer One.
• Consumer Confidence Reports (Water Quality Reports) Annual water quality reports published by service area (Alta, Applegate, Auburn-Bowman, Colfax, Foothill-Sunset, Monte Vista, Weimar, etc.) as required by the State Department of Public Health, reporting water sample data collected throughout the year.
• Water Year Dashboard Interactive dashboard displaying current water year data (October 1 to September 30), including regional precipitation, snowfall, temperature conditions, and historical comparisons, integrating NOAA, ACIS, and High Plains Regional Climate Center data.
• PCWA Fire Hydrant Map Interactive ArcGIS map showing the location of fire hydrants maintained by PCWA and local jurisdictions, built to support fire response and infrastructure maintenance.
• Treated Water Service Interruption Viewer Interactive ArcGIS map showing approximate locations of treated water service interruptions and related impacts, updated as information becomes available.
• Water Wise House Calls Complimentary home or business visits by trained water efficiency professionals who review sprinkler systems, survey landscapes, develop custom watering schedules, demonstrate leak checks, and identify applicable rebates.
• Outage Information System System for reporting and viewing water outages including treated water and raw water (canal) service interruptions, with scheduled maintenance updates and canal cleaning schedules.
• WaterSense Partnership Rebate Program WaterSense partner program offering rebates on WaterSense-labeled products including high-efficiency toilets, weather-based irrigation controllers, and pressure regulating sprinkler bodies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Colfax WTP more than doubles community treatment capacity from 1.24 to 2.0 MGD (expandable to 3.0 MGD)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• South Placer Municipal Utility District (SPMUD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint infrastructure partnership for Old State Highway Pipeline Replacement Project in Newcastle. PCWA serves as lead agency replacing 1,654 feet of aging water mains while SPMUD replaces 1,700 feet of aging sewer mains. Project includes 5 fire hydrants, 33,871 square feet pavement overlay, with estimated total cost of $2.4 million.
• U.S. Bureau of ReclamationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-lead agency on American River Basin Study released August 2022. Study examines climate change impacts on water supply through rest of 21st century. Partners include six non-Federal cost-sharing partners examining water demands of 516,000 acre-feet for municipal users.
• City of RosevillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCost-share partner in American River Basin Study. Roseville is a major municipal water user in the region with water supply interconnection to PCWA (Bianchi system receives Roseville fluoridated water).
• City of SacramentocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCost-share partner in American River Basin Study examining regional water management strategies and climate adaptation.
• El Dorado County Water AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCost-share partner in American River Basin Study representing eastern Sierra water interests in regional planning.
• City of FolsomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCost-share partner in American River Basin Study collaborating on water supply reliability and Folsom Reservoir operations.
• Regional Water AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCost-share partner in American River Basin Study representing regional water management interests in the greater Sacramento area.
• UC Master Gardeners of Placer CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to highlight Water-Wise, Fire-Smart plants suited to Placer County environment available at local nurseries. Collaboration includes demonstration gardens at Loomis Library and Community Learning Center replacing over 11,000 square feet of lawn.
• Placer County Fire Department / CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFire protection partnership featuring Fire Chief Brian Estes. Collaboration on water system design for firefighting support, defensible space education, and community wildfire preparedness across foothill communities.
• City of Rocklin Fire DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fire Chief Reginald Williams on fire protection video. Water system design supports firefighting in growing Rocklin area with population growth and urban development.
• French Meadows Forest Restoration PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-agency partnership to reduce wildfire risk, improve watershed and forest health, and protect Middle Fork American River watershed source of drinking water for over 2 million people. Includes vegetation management and forest restoration work.
• South Placer Fire Protection DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Fire-Smart Demonstration Garden at Station 18 in Loomis showcasing water-wise and fire-smart landscaping techniques.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• California Water Service Group: Investor-owned California water utility serving ~2 million people across the state. Highly comparable as a California-regulated water retailer with both treated-water and irrigation operations, multiple service-area consolidations, and active capex on treatment and pipeline infrastructure.
• SJW Group: Holding company for San Jose Water Company and Connecticut Water, both regulated water utilities. Comparable business model of regulated water delivery with consolidation/M&A activity and capital programs on aging infrastructure; serves as a useful public-market proxy for PCWA's regulated utility economics.
• Nevada Irrigation District: Adjacent California special district providing treated water, raw irrigation water, and hydroelectric power across Nevada and Placer counties. Closest geographic and operational peer, sharing watershed, hydroelectric generation, and raw-water canal operations.
• El Dorado Irrigation District: Neighboring California special district providing water, wastewater, recycled water, and hydroelectric services in El Dorado County. Comparable as a multi-service water agency with raw-water irrigation canals, treatment plants, and regional water-rights management.
• San Juan Water District: Wholesale and retail water district serving northern Sacramento County suburbs including Granite Bay. Comparable as a California special district with wholesale raw-water supply from Folsom Reservoir and retail treated-water service to residential customers.

Broad incumbents

• American Water Works Company: Largest publicly traded US water and wastewater utility, serving ~14 million people across 14 states. Highly comparable in regulated water delivery, water-quality reporting, customer-portal billing, and an active small-system consolidation playbook.
• Essential Utilities: Large regulated water and natural gas utility serving ~5 million people across 10 states. Comparable in regulated water operations and active acquisition of small municipal and private water systems, including California assets.
• Middlesex Water Company: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility in New Jersey and Delaware. Comparable as a regulated water utility with parallel regulated-tariff revenue model, treatment-plant investment programs, and customer-portal billing infrastructure.
• Artesian Resources: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility serving Delaware and surrounding states. Comparable as a smaller-cap regulated water utility with active customer-engagement programs, water-conservation rebates, and infrastructure-replacement capex.

Regional players

• Sacramento County Water Agency: Regional water agency providing treated water and drainage services in unincorporated Sacramento County. Comparable institutional structure as a county-level public water agency and co-stakeholder in the American River Basin Study with PCWA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PlacerWater
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThePCWA

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Placer County Water Agency