This year, rates for most Zone 3 customers will be going down. This should come as a relief during these hard economic times. For details, see Issues: Water rates and affordability.

Clearly the first order of business will be operating, maintaining, and improving the system so that we care first for the goose that lays the golden egg. But beyond those revenues, PCWA's special district charter limits its revenue spending to the areas allowed under California irrigation district law. Broadly, those areas are water- and energy-related expenditures, grants, or loans. As indicated in the 2008 PCWA policy for the use of Middle Fork net revenues (PDF*, 54 KB), those areas are:

• Water supply
• Water supply reliability
• Water quality
• Ecosystem protection related to PCWA water and power systems
• Energy system supply and reliability
• Emergency financial aid to Placer County public water systems
• Public education and recreation related to PCWA water and power systems

PCWA cannot spend funds on areas such as fire safety on private lands, waste water, flood control, and the like. But, Placer County can. And partnerships between PCWA and the County may provide opportunities to address certain problems systematically and comprehensively, like fire safety. See Issues: Fire Safety for more on that part of the story.

PCWA is a special district created by the State Legislature with a charter governed by State irrigation district law. Under those laws, only water and energy expenditures can be made by PCWA. That means expenditures for fire safety, flood control, road repair, and the like cannot be made by PCWA. If we are to address any of those broader issues, it must be done in partnership with Placer County, for example, see Issues: Fire safety.