South Feather Water & Power

What South Feather Water & Power does

South Feather Water & Power Agency (SFWPA) is an independent special district formed under California's Irrigation Code, originally established in 1919 as the Oroville-Wyandotte Irrigation District and renamed in 2003 to reflect its dual mission. The agency serves over 7,000 residential and agricultural customers in the Oroville, Palermo, and Bangor communities of southeast Butte County through treated potable water delivery and irrigation water service spanning more than 100 linear miles of conveyance canals and ditches.

The agency's underlying asset base is built around a run-of-the-river hydropower complex — the South Feather Power Project — comprising four single-unit powerhouses totaling 117.3 megawatts, nine dams (eight FERC-regulated), 17 miles of tunnel, 21 miles of canal, and over 12,000 feet of steel penstocks. A 4,800-foot elevation drop between Little Grass Valley Reservoir and Kelly Ridge Powerhouse enables gravity-fed generation licensed under FERC License 2088 (issued 1952, relicensing application filed March 2007). The infrastructure footprint extends across 82 square miles and 217 square miles of tributary watershed spanning Butte, Yuba, and Plumas Counties.

SFWPA generates revenue through three primary streams: monthly metered potable water service fees and volumetric charges (subscription and usage-based), agricultural irrigation water sold via Miners Inch Accounts, metered rates, and flat-rate accounts, and wholesale hydropower sold exclusively to the Northern California Power Agency (NCPA) under a Power Purchase Agreement. The agency is governed by a five-member elected board, functions as a non-tax-supported government entity, and is not owned by any private equity, corporate parent, or external investor.

Name

South Feather Water & Power

Legal name

South Feather Water & Power Agency

Website

https://southfeather.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South Feather Water & Power Agency is a California independent special district providing treated potable water to over 7,000 households in Oroville, Palermo, and Bangor and operating a 117.3 MW FERC-licensed hydropower project sold under PPA to NCPA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility and Hydropower Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Drinking Water Distribution Network Operations (Mains, Valves, Hydrants, Service Lines) (EUANAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Treated Water Storage & Pressure Management (Reservoirs, Tanks, Booster Stations) (EUANAAAD), Pump, Well & Booster System Service for Irrigation (HSAIAEAI), Hydro BOP Civil & Water Conveyance (Dams, Spillways, Penstocks, Canals) (EUAMAFAG), Pump Stations, Lift Stations & Booster Stations Construction (IMAFAGAD)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Hydropower generation
• Irrigation water supply
• Potable water distribution
• Special district services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oroville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Domestic Water Service: Monthly service fees based on meter size plus volumetric charges for water consumption. The agency provides treated water service to communities of Oroville, Palermo, and Bangor.
2. Irrigation Water Service: SFWPA owns and operates over 100 linear miles of irrigation water conveyance infrastructure supplying farms, ranches, vineyards, orchards, home gardens, and other agriculture needs. Revenue comes from Miners Inch Accounts ($1.95/mi), metered usage ($0.0867/100 cubic feet), and flat rate accounts ($60.50/month).
3. Hydropower Energy Sales: The agency sells power generated at four powerhouses to Northern California Power Agency (NCPA) under a Power Purchase Agreement. SFWPA functions as a Generator Owner/Operator and does not sell power directly to customers.
4. Non-Potable Water Service: Monthly service fee of $21.50 plus usage-based charges for non-potable irrigation water delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

South Feather Water & Power Agency (SFWPA) provides treated (potable) drinking water service to over 7,000 households and agricultural customers in Oroville, Palermo, and Bangor in southeast Butte County, California. The agency also owns and operates the South Feather Power Project (SFPP), a FERC-licensed run-of-the-river hydroelectric facility with four powerhouses totaling 117.3 megawatts, selling the generated electricity to the Northern California Power Agency (NCPA) under a Power Purchase Agreement.

Product overview

South Feather Water and Power Agency is an independent special district providing treated water service and operating a hydropower project. The core offerings include potable water delivery to over 7,000 households in Oroville, Palermo, and Bangor; irrigation water service through 100+ miles of canals; and the South Feather Power Project (117.3 MW hydropower via four powerhouses). Supporting services include online bill pay, recreation facilities at multiple reservoirs (campgrounds, boat launches, beaches), lead service line inventory compliance, annual Consumer Confidence Reports, and dam safety programs. The agency also maintains an enterprise system (Springbrook Software) for billing and accounting operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Treated Water (Potable) Service Provides treated drinking water service to the communities of Oroville, Palermo and Bangor in southeast Butte County, California. The agency operates treatment plants including Miners Ranch Treatment Plant and Bangor Treatment Plant and delivers water through metered connections to over 7,000 households.
• Irrigation Water Service Delivers irrigation water through over 100 linear miles of canals and open ditches to farms, ranches, vineyards, orchards, and home gardens within the community. Sold via Miners Inch Accounts ($1.95/mi), metered usage ($0.0867/100 cubic feet), and flat rate accounts ($60.50/month).
• South Feather Power Project (SFPP) Hydropower A FERC-licensed run-of-the-river hydropower project generating electricity through four powerhouses (Sly, Woodleaf, Forbestown, Kelly) totaling 117.3 Megawatts. The project includes eight dams, 17 miles of tunnel, four single-unit powerhouses, over 12,000 feet of steel penstocks, and 21 miles of canal. Power is sold to Northern California Power Agency (NCPA) under a Power Purchase Agreement.
• Online Bill Pay Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Hydropower capacity generates enough electricity to power approximately 90,000 homes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Paymentus CorporationcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Paymentus Corporation provides online bill payment services for SFWPA customers. The Paymentus portal offers automated payment options and accepts credit card, debit card, e-check, Venmo, PayPal, and PayPal Credit. Paymentus is the only recognized online payment option tracked by SFWPA to avoid disconnect fees. SFWPA also offers a 24-hour automated payment system through Paymentus at (866) 335-0486.
• Northern California Power Agency (NCPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFWPA sells power generated at its four powerhouses to NCPA under a Power Purchase Agreement. NCPA provides both power management and power generation services to its member retail electric agencies. The energy produced at SFWPA's powerhouses is sold at electric rates defined by this agreement.
• Springbrook SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationSpringbrook Software provides enterprise accounting and utility billing software used by SFWPA. The system handles customer information, billing, accounts payable, inventory control, purchasing, customer correspondence, and automated notifications.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD): Large California special district water utility providing treated drinking water to a multi-county service area — comparable as a publicly-owned water-only utility, though without the hydropower overlay.
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD): Large publicly-owned California utility with significant hydro generation portfolio and retail electric service — comparable in being a public, generation-and-retail utility operating multiple asset classes.
• Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E): Incumbent Northern California electric utility with substantial hydroelectric generation assets — relevant for understanding regional grid dynamics and as a participant in NCPA-related arrangements.
• Northern California Power Agency (NCPA): Joint powers authority and SFWPA's sole PPA off-taker for the 117.3 MW hydropower project; comparable as a generator/aggregator across multiple Northern California hydro and renewable assets.

Regional players

• Oroville-area groundwater / water districts: Adjoining water districts and groundwater management agencies sharing the Middle Fork Feather River watershed that supplies SFWPA — relevant for understanding service-area boundaries and local competition for water rights.
• Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative: Rural electric cooperative serving the same Northern Sierra region as SFWPA's hydropower watershed — comparable as a small-population, regulatory-franchise utility serving the area where SFWPA's generation assets are sited.

Direct peers

• California American Water: Regulated water/wastewater utility serving numerous California communities, directly comparable in delivering treated domestic water through metered distribution systems.
• Nevada Irrigation District: Special district serving Nevada and Placer counties with treated water, irrigation, and run-of-river hydropower — direct analog in California Irrigation Code structure and dual water-and-power operations.
• California Water Service (Cal Water): Investor-owned California water utility serving ~2 million people across the state, providing potable water distribution — the closest regulated-water-utility operating model to SFWPA's treated water service, despite being much larger.
• Yuba Water Agency: California special district water agency operating New Bullards Bar and other facilities, supplying treated water, irrigation water, and hydropower in Yuba County — directly comparable in geography, regulatory framework, and dual water/power mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 South Feather Water & Power