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Press Release from El Dorado Irrigation District
Contact: Jesse Saich,  jsaich@eid.org

Placerville, Calif. — At a special meeting on January 11, the EID Board of Directors unanimously voted to adopt a resolution authorizing the conversion of the District’s existing long-term Central Valley Project (CVP) water contract to one that runs in perpetuity.

For six decades the District has held a long-term water service contract with the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) for the diversion of up to 7,550 acre-feet annually of CVP water from Folsom Reservoir. The contract was last renewed in 2006 for a period of 40 years.

“In the water business, we must look ahead—often decades—to develop strategies to ensure the long-term water security for the communities we serve,” said EID General Manager Jim Abercrombie. “Obtaining the most favorable possible contract terms now is in the District’s long-term strategic interests and this contract represents a truly long-lasting and durable benefit for our ratepayers. This converted contract secures, in perpetuity, a significant portion of EID’s overall water supply.”

The contract was made possible by enactment of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, which was passed by Congress in 2016. The WIIN Act directs Reclamation to convert water service contracts to repayment contracts upon the request of a contractor.

Under the terms of the WIIN Act, the conversion of the contract requires prepayment of remaining construction capital cost outlay obligations—a cost that the District has previously paid down monthly under the prior contract. EID’s remaining obligation amounts to $207,000.

“With this contract, this CVP contract water becomes more secure and reliable not only for current EID ratepayers, but for generations of ratepayers to come,” said EID Board President Pat Dwyer. “This is a small investment that will have a lasting impact on the communities EID serves.”

EID is a public agency dedicated to providing high quality water, wastewater treatment, recycled water, hydropower, and recreation services in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner.