Northstar Community Services District

What Northstar Community Services District does

Northstar Community Services District (NCSD) is a California special district formed in 1990 under Government Code 61600, providing municipal services to residential communities in Truckee, Placer County, and adjacent Nevada County. Its service portfolio spans water supply and distribution (operating two distinct systems — the Northstar Water System and the Martis Valley Water System), sewer collection, solid waste and recycling coordination, fire protection and fuels management via the Northstar Fire Department, road surface maintenance, snow removal, and trail construction and maintenance. Infrastructure operated by the District includes a Wood Energy biomass facility, GIS mapping systems, and an integrated WaterSmart leak-monitoring platform for customer-facing conservation alerts.

Revenue is generated through regulated user fees for water, sewer, and solid waste, supplemented by property and parcel taxes. Water billing combines a base rate (split into operating and capital components) with consumption charges per 1,000 gallons; sewer charges are assessed annually via the Placer County Tax Bill; solid waste services are coordinated with channel partner Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal. The District is governed by a five-member elected Board of Directors with a board-appointed General Manager overseeing day-to-day operations.

Following the October 2015 acquisition of the Martis Valley Water System from Placer County Water Agency, NCSD's service area expanded to include the Lahontan, Martis Camp, Schaffer's Mill, and Hopkins Village communities. The District participates in regional groundwater management for the 57-square-mile Martis Valley basin jointly with PCWA and Nevada County under a voluntary coordination framework, and continues to publish plans such as the 2025 Groundwater Management Plan Update and the 2025 Sewer System Management Plan.

Name

Northstar Community Services District

Legal name

Northstar Community Services District

Website

https://northstarcsd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Northstar Community Services District is a California special district providing water, sewer, solid waste, fire protection, fuels management, road maintenance, and trail services to residential communities in Truckee and across Placer and Nevada counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Waste Collection (5621), Waste Collection (56211), Utilities (221)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Refuse Systems (4953), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

District Energy & Community CHP (District Heating/Cooling Networks) (EUACAKAH)

Keywords

• Municipal water services
• Sewer collection services
• Solid waste management
• Fire protection services
• Community utility district

Headquarters

HQ city

Truckee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Water user fees: Water customers are billed a base rate (broken down into operating and capital charges) plus a consumption fee per 1,000 gallons used. Single-family connections with 1-inch or smaller meters are billed under the standard rate schedule. Northstar and Martis Valley water customers have separate rate schedules.
2. Sewer user fees: Northstar residential sewer customers are billed to their annual Placer County Tax Bill. Martis Valley sewer customers are billed through the same mechanism under the inherited PCWA ordinance framework.
3. Solid waste user fees: Solid waste and recycling services are provided through coordination with Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal (TTSD), with refuse collection billed to customers on a per-service basis.
4. Property and parcel taxes: District services are supported in part by property and parcel taxes levied on properties within the District boundaries.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Northstar Community Services District is a California special district providing essential municipal utility services to the Northstar and Martis Valley residential communities in Truckee, California. Its core offerings include potable water distribution (Northstar Water System and Martis Valley Water System), sewer collection, solid waste and recycling coordination with Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal, fire protection and fuels management via the Northstar Fire Department, road maintenance and snow removal, and trail construction and maintenance.

Product overview

Northstar Community Services District (NCSD) is a local government entity founded in 1990 under Government Code 61600 that provides essential municipal services to the Northstar community and surrounding areas in Placer County, California. The district operates as a unified services organization offering water supply and distribution, sewer collection, solid waste management, fire protection and fuels management, road maintenance, trail construction, and snow removal. In 2015, NCSD expanded its footprint by acquiring the Martis Valley Water System from Placer County Water Agency, adding service to Lahontan, Martis Camp, Schaffer's Mill, and Hopkins Village communities. The district serves customers through online portals (NCSD Customer Portal for billing) and specialized programs like WaterSmart for leak detection, while managing infrastructure including the Wood Energy Facility and GIS mapping systems. The district is governed by a five-member elected Board of Directors with monthly public meetings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Northstar Fire Department: Fire protection, emergency response, fire prevention, fuels management, and health and wellness services for the Northstar community.

Products and services

• Water Services Potable water supply, distribution, quality monitoring, and conservation services to Northstar and Martis Valley communities via the Northstar Water System and Martis Valley Water System, serving Martis Camp, Lahontan, and Schaffer's Mill. Customers are billed a base rate (split into operating and capital charges) plus a consumption fee per 1,000 gallons.
• Sewer Services Sewer collection services for residential customers, including administration of the District Sewer Ordinance, management of the Sewer System Management Plan, and assessment of connection fees. Northstar residential sewer customers are billed to their annual Placer County Tax Bill.
• Solid Waste Management Coordination of curbside refuse collection with Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal (TTSD), management of the green waste recycling program, administration of solid waste rate schedules, and operation of the Defensible Space Rebate Program for residential customers.
• Fire Protection Services The Northstar Fire Department provides fire protection, emergency response, fuels management, defensible space programs, health and wellness services, and emergency evacuation information to residential customers in the Northstar community.
• Fuels Management Fire fuels management and vegetation control programs designed to reduce wildfire risk and protect community safety in the Northstar region.
• Road Maintenance and Snow Removal Road surface maintenance and snow removal services within the District, including planned road projects and winter weather preparedness for residential roadways.
• Trail Construction and Maintenance Construction and maintenance of recreational trails within the District, including the Tompkins Memorial Trail and Martis Valley Trail, for community resident use.
• Wood Energy Facility A biomass/wood energy facility operated by the District for sustainable energy generation using wood biomass as fuel.
• NCSD Customer Portal Online customer portal that allows residential water, sewer, and other utility customers to pay bills, view electronic statements, and register for autopay services for their District accounts.
• Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan Collaborative groundwater management plan covering the 57-square-mile Martis Valley basin spanning Placer and Nevada counties, managing approximately 350,000-400,000 acre-feet of groundwater storage. The plan supports coordinated water resource management across the District and partner agencies.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Placer County Water Agency (PCWA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2025PCWA adopted the updated Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan in August 2025, prepared alongside GEI Consultants and Balanced Hydrologics, Inc. PCWA originally operated the Martis Valley Water System under contract for six years before transferring full ownership to NCSD on 10/01/2015. As part of the transfer, NCSD adopted PCWA's Rules, Regulations, Rates, and Charges, which remain in effect as part of NCSD's water ordinance. Three partner agencies collectively manage the 57-square-mile Martis Valley Groundwater Basin.
• Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal (TTSD)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNCSD coordinates refuse services on behalf of customers within the Northstar community with Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal (TTSD). TTSD handles curbside garbage collection, which occurs each Monday. TTSD also manages the green waste recycling program and provides solid waste rate schedule services under this partnership.
• GEI ConsultantsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGEI Consultants prepared the 80-page Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan 2025 Update, developed for the three partner agencies (NCSD, PCWA, and Nevada County) managing the Martis Valley Groundwater Basin.
• Balanced Hydrologics, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBalanced Hydrologics, Inc. co-prepared the 80-page Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan 2025 Update alongside GEI Consultants for the three partner agencies managing the 57-square-mile basin.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• California Special Districts Association: Association representing California special districts, including CSDs like NCSD. Not a peer in the operational sense but an enabling membership body that shapes the regulatory and governance framework NCSD operates within.

Direct peers

• Truckee Donner Public Utility District: Neighboring water and electric utility serving the Truckee / Donner area. Highly comparable to NCSD as a small California special district delivering water utility service to a mountain community in the same region.
• South Tahoe Public Utility District: California special district providing water, wastewater, and recycled water service in the Lake Tahoe basin. Comparable to NCSD on water/sewer infrastructure and Tahoe-region regulatory environment.
• Tahoe City Public Utility District: Lake Tahoe-area public utility district providing water, sewer, and recreation services. Comparable to NCSD on integrated municipal services in the North Lake Tahoe region.
• Kirkwood Meadows Public Utility District: Mountain resort-area public utility district delivering water, sewer, and solid waste services. Comparable to NCSD on integrated utility services in a low-population, high-amenity setting.
• Alpine Springs County Water District: California mountain residential water and sewer district near Lake Tahoe. Comparable to NCSD's water/sewer service scope and high-elevation operational challenges.
• Bear Valley Community Services District: California Community Services District in a mountain / resort setting providing water, sewer, and solid waste services. Closely mirrors NCSD's service-delivery mix and governance structure under California Government Code 61600.
• Tahoe Donner Association: Mountain resort community near Northstar that delivers water, sewer, solid waste, and roads to its members. Directly comparable to NCSD's integrated municipal service model in a similar Truckee-region demographic.
• Mammoth Community Water District: Mountain resort community water district in the Eastern Sierra. Comparable to NCSD on water service, fire protection, and ski-town demographic exposure.

Broad incumbents

• Liberty Utilities (California): Larger regulated utility providing water, electric, and gas services across California, including mountain and rural service areas. Comparable to NCSD as a utility provider, though materially larger and privately held.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Northstar_Fire
• Facebookfacebook.com/NorthstarFD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northstar-community-services-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Northstar Community Services District