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Alternative Water Sources

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Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD) has been looking at other alternative water sources to be able to supply its customers with water throughout this drought. Starting in January, the District designed an action plan looking at wells that have been inactive, making changes to our water distribution and ditch systems to run more efficient and purchasing water out of New Melones Reservoir.

Looking at the District’s entire water distribution and water treatment systems, we have segmented the customers we serve into three groups: The Upper Zone, Middle Zone and Lower Zone. The Upper Zone (Twain Harte, Lakewood, Brentwood, Comstock, Big Hill, Cedar Ridge, Crystal Falls, Sonora Meadows, Ponderosa Hills, Monte Grande and Tuolumne) will rely solely on water supply from Lyons Reservoir.  In the Middle Zone (Apple Valley, Pheonix Lake, Scenic View, East Sonora, Mono Village, Cuesta-Lambert Lake, and Wards Ferry) we are activating wells in this area.  The Lower Zone (Columbia, Sonora, and Jamestown) is an area of great concern and serves our largest population. In addition, Tuolumne County’s only hospital, Sonora Regional Medical Center, is in this zone as well as the Columbia Air Attack Base. This base provides initial attack for the CDF Madera-Mariposa-Merced and Amador-El Dorado Units and the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park. It is essential that we have enough water supply to keep this critical air attack base and the hospital running. As part of supplying water to the Lower Zone we have secured water with the help of two vital partners. The South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) and the Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California have agreed upon the terms of an emergency humanitarian water transfer that will assist us by supplying TUD with up to 2,400 acre-feet of water that will be pulled out of New Melones Reservoir. The District will also activate the Mill Villa well that will serve customers in Jamestown.

Water Quality

The District is taking steps to activate wells that have not been used in some time mostly in the Middle Zone area.  TUD is also starting to use some of our active wells in order to save more water from Lyons Reservoir. When these sources are being used the water delivered to your home may change.  Some wells will still be blended with treated surface water and therefore will not be noticed as much as the areas that will be receiving only well water.  This water is safe to drink and the District has not had problems with bacteriological quality.  We are treating some of the wells in order to minimize the discoloring and odors.  You may notice that you need more soap to wash, this is due to the hardness of well water.  The District staff are monitoring the water quality and doing what they can to deliver potable water.

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