Utilizing Partnerships in Utilities Management

Truckee Donner Public Utilities District (TDPUD) and Tahoe Donner Remain Fervent Partners in Community Safety and Infrastructure

By Cynthia Cendreda

The community-powered, not-for-profit Truckee Donner Public Utilities District (TDPUD) provides reliable, high-quality utility and other services to the greater Truckee area while managing District resources in a safe, open, responsible and environmentally sound manner at the lowest practical cost. Established in 1927, TDPUD manages electric and water utilities for roughly 16,000 customers, almost 90% of whom are residential properties and water utilities, as well as nearly 14,500 service connections for 100% groundwater sourced water over 11 wells, 43 pressure zones and along 230+ miles of pipe.

Operating continuously at high elevation through extreme weather conditions, including frequent severe winter storms and wildfire threats, TDPUD’s capacity to maintain critical infrastructure, respond to outages and support emergency response while balancing affordability, reliability and sustainability is demonstrative of their commitment and values.  Their continued work and partnership with Tahoe Donner have been essential in enhancing the community’s safety and infrastructure.

“Practice Like You Play”

TDPUD Strategic Plan + Current Initiatives
In the July 25, 2025, regular board meeting, TDPUD General Manager Brian Wright presented current operations on behalf of the district. Established in 2021, TDPUD maintains and continuously updates a strategic plan with overarching goals related to financial stability and resiliency, environmental stewardship, customer and community engagement, modernization and value enhancement, and inclusivity. Its current initiatives include community broadband, service reliability and safety, net-carbon reduction and local watershed stewardship.

Additionally, TDPUD continually evaluates its emergency response capabilities to ensure preparedness for small and large events. The District has recently taken on a new project to develop a formal incident command and emergency operations response (EOC) protocol that includes staff training, professional development and investment into infrastructure to improve EOC operations.

With a “practice like you play” approach, the District incorporates daily issues and responses into the larger plans, protocols and execution that enhance overall emergency preparedness.

2025 Tahoe Donner Electric + Water Utility Projects

While TDPUD conducts ongoing activities throughout the Truckee area, several significant projects are currently underway in collaboration with Tahoe Donner.

Wildfire Mitigation + Hardening of the Overhead Electrical System

Extensive research, studies and surveys were conducted to determine whether or not to transfer Tahoe Donner’s electrical system underground. Overall, system hardening and other measures for wildfire mitigation along Northwoods Boulevard were determined to be the most impactful and cost-effective approaches to enhancing utilities-related community safety.

In 2025, TDPUD worked extensively with Tahoe Donner to synchronize vegetation management, including clearing limbs, brush and other debris away from poles at the ground level and overhead. Additionally, a new pilot program is underway to replace wooden electrical poles with non-flammable, stronger and more resilient ductile iron poles and install fiberglass/composite crossarms and covered conductors. TDPUD has also recently updated its policies to include improved data-driven strategies on pre-emptive power shutoff during localized high-fire and high-weather risk events.

Northwoods Pipeline + Ski Run Tank Replacements

Tahoe Donner comprises over 40% of TDPUD’s water service demand, but it only had a single pipeline running up Northwoods Boulevard and two pump stations to serve the entire subdivision. A single pipeline for the large service area was of significant concern for the District. The recent completion of the Joe Aguera pump station and Trout Creek pipeline projects added a pump station and secondary pipeline to Tahoe Donner, providing redundant service for improved management of the overall water system. Additionally, the ongoing water pipeline replacement projects remain driven by mitigation of water loss due to old and deteriorating pipes, in accordance with state regulations for the overall reduction of water loss.

The Ski Run water tank and pump station are critical to serving customers in the upper elevations of Tahoe Donner. The current tank was over 50 years old, and after inspection, a complete replacement was recommended due to its condition and size, which no longer met the system’s current needs. The previous 100,000-gallon tank was replaced with a larger 214,000-gallon welded steel tank to increase water storage and fire suppression abilities and improve resiliency for customers in this area.

In coordination with Tahoe Donner, the replacement of the water pipeline at the Ski Bowl condominiums has been postponed until 2026 to avoid interfering with the Downhill Ski Replacement project.

Safety and resiliency remain top priorities for both TDPUD and Tahoe Donner. This continued collaboration ensures that both the District and the association can prioritize critical projects to sustain infrastructure. As the projects listed continue to progress, TDPUD and the association will continue to update property owners and residents on the impacts and timeline. For more information, visit TDPUD website.