TCPUD 2025 Annual Report

View our 2025 Annual Report in the Flipbook, download the 2025 TCPUD Annual Report (PDF - 16 MB), or read the text-only version in the accordion drop-downs below.

A Message from our General Manager

Dear Community,

As we begin a new year, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your continued trust in the Tahoe City Public Utility District. Serving this community is both a responsibility and a privilege, and I am thankful every day for the opportunity to work alongside a team that takes that responsibility seriously.

Looking back on 2025, it was an incredibly busy and immensely successful year. Our team balanced day-to-day operations with an ambitious slate of projects and initiatives, all while serving our community with professionalism, care, and dedication.

This past year, we celebrated several milestones with the community, including the completion of the North Shore Trail reconstruction, the Dianne Feinstein West Shore Tahoe Trail renaming, and the grand opening of the West Lake Tahoe Regional Water Treatment Plant. These occasions marked the culmination of years of planning, collaboration, and investment in infrastructure that will serve this community for decades to come.

We also completed our largest capital project season in history, investing more than $30 million in capital projects in 2025. This included improvements such as the new irrigation system at the golf course, 2.4 miles of rebuilt trail on the West Shore, and critical water system upgrades in areas like Homewood and Rubicon. We also took an important step forward on the Tahoe Cedars Water System Reconstruction by entering into a design-build agreement and continuing to pursue long-term funding to move the project ahead responsibly.

Across our departments, our teams continued to deliver essential services at a high level. In the Water Utility, we provided more than 557 million gallons of high-quality drinking water, finalized the acquisition of the former Tahoe Swiss Village Utility, and expanded our rate assistance program to better support income-qualified customers. In Sewer, our crews inspected and cleaned dozens of miles of pipe to protect public health and the environment. In Parks and Recreation, we advanced major planning efforts, welcomed thousands of participants into our programs, and continued investing in facilities that bring people together.

Our team’s commitment to excellence was also recognized beyond our community this year. In 2025, TCPUD received several state and regional honors that reflect the dedication of our staff and partners to deliver reliable services and long-term value to the community we serve.

None of this would be possible without the steady leadership and governance of our Board of Directors, whose thoughtful decision-making and long-term strategic direction help guide TCPUD through complex challenges while keeping the long-term interests of our community at the forefront.

Thank you for your trust, your engagement, and your partnership. We are proud to serve you, and we remain committed to doing what is right for this community.

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback, we welcome hearing from you by email or 530-583-3796.

Yours in Service,

Sean Barclay
General Manager
Tahoe City Public Utility District

Mission, Vision, Core Values, & Strategic Focus Areas

Mission

The mission of the Tahoe City Public Utility District is to serve people, our community, and its environment. It is our responsibility to provide safe and reliable water service, sewer service for the protection of public health, and parks and recreation services to enhance quality of life. It is our commitment to accomplish these and other tasks within the scope of the Public Utility District Act, as amended, in a sound fiscal manner.

Vision

Building a healthy mountain community through our passion for public service.

Core Values

The Tahoe City Public Utility District’s organizational culture is rooted in our Core Values of Service, Professionalism, Teamwork, Initiative, and Communication.

These Core Values and related behaviors set the expectation for how we engage with each other, with our customers and all our stakeholders.

Strategic Focus Areas

Crafted in our 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, these Focus Areas guide our high-level priorities, help build annual work plans, and allocate resources over the Strategic Plan period. They are:

Governance, Management, and Organizational Health
Safe and Sustainable Water & Sewer Services
Outstanding Recreation & Leisure Opportunities
Infrastructure and Property Protection & Improvement
Long-term Financial Sustainability

Accomplishments, Highlights, and Achievements

General Manager of the Year

General Manager, Sean Barclay, was honored with the 2025 General Manager of the Year Award by the California Special Districts Association. This statewide award recognizes exceptional leadership, effectiveness, and service to the community. Sean’s selection reflects his outstanding contributions to TCPUD, its customers, and to the broader region.

“Sean’s leadership has had a profound and enduring impact on our organization and our community,” said Judy Friedman, President of the TCPUD Board of Directors. “His clear and compelling vision has built a healthy and resilient workplace culture grounded in shared values and strong leadership.”

Special Events & Celebrations

North Shore Trail Ribbon Cutting

In June, we celebrated the completion of the award-winning North Shore Trail Reconstruction Project, a $3.2 Million investment to rebuild 2.2 miles of this crucial community link.

Celebrating a Legacy

Local, state, and federal leaders joined the TCPUD Board of Directors in August to honor late U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s environmental legacy in Lake Tahoe. In a ceremony led by U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, the West Shore Trail was officially dedicated in her name as the Dianne Feinstein West Shore Tahoe Trail.

The First Sip

More than 80 local and state agency partners and regional leaders joined the TCPUD Board and staff to celebrate the new West Lake Tahoe Regional Water Treatment Plant Grand Opening. Read more about this significant accomplishment on page 9.

Awards & Recognition

Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association for the seventh consecutive year.
Small Collection System of the Year from the California Water Environment Association Sierra Section.
General Manager of the Year from the California Special Districts Association
Trailblazing Award from the Truckee/North Tahoe Transportation Management Association for the North Shore Trail Reconstruction Project.
Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies for the West Lake Tahoe Regional Water Treatment Plant.
Excellence in Innovation Finalist from the Association of California Water Agencies for the West Lake Tahoe Regional Water Treatment Plant.

Governance, Management, & Organizational Health

Legislative Advocacy

We pursued legislative measures to help fund water infrastructure for fire suppression, including joining the Wildfire Solutions Coalition, advocating for reauthorization of the critical Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, and working with partners to advocate for the Proposition 4 Climate Bond spending plan.

We co-sponsored AB 372, to be taken up in 2026, that would make critical water infrastructure projects for fire suppression eligible in the Climate Bond. Additionally, we monitored amendments to the Advanced Clean Fleet regulations that impact the District’s essential emergency and fleet vehicles.

Expanded Rate Assistance Helps More Customers

The Board of Directors approved an expansion to the District’s Water Rate Assistance Program to provide water rate assistance to more income-eligible customers. The expanded program added a second tier of eligible customers. In the first year of the expanded program, enrollment increased by 228%.

District Communications Strategy

The District adopted a comprehensive Communications Strategy to serve as a foundational framework for how the District communicates with our community, customers, partners, staff, and Board of Directors. This Strategy affirms the District’s dedication to fostering clear, consistent, and meaningful communication.

Internal Leadership Development Program

The District welcomed six employees to its second cohort of its internal Leadership Development Program. The program helps foster a healthy workplace culture, equips participants with knowledge of essential leadership principles and practices, and reinforces the District’s Core Values.

Leadership Succession Planning

The District’s proactive succession planning strategy addressed five Director-level retirements occurring in a span of just two years to preserve critical institutional knowledge. This ensures a stable, empowered, and well-supported workforce to ensure successful execution of the District’s complex projects and priorities.

Safe and Sustainable Water & Sewer Infrastructure

Enhancing our Regional Water Systems

TCPUD completed its acquisition of the former Tahoe Swiss Village Utility, Inc., welcoming approximately 430 new water customers to the District. Since the acquisition, we’ve made several key upgrades in these systems, including new remote sensing at wells, decommissioning an aged water tank to protect water quality, installing new water quality monitoring ports in the system, and completing a service line inventory to ensure no lead pipes are in the system.

Protecting Our Water Supply

In 2025, we adopted a new Cross-Connection Control Plan to further our efforts to protect the public water supply. The new Plan bolsters our work to prevent water contamination and pollution from cross connections through updated procedures, use of trained specialists and testers, enhanced education and outeach, and local entity coordination.

2025 Numbers

557 million gallons of safe drinking water delivered to our community.
90 water and sewer line repairs to keep systems running.
42% of sewer mains cleaned to keep wastewater flowing.
383 technical services inspections completed.

Our System

31 square mile service area
148 miles of sewer mains
100 miles of water mains
24 sewer pump stations
18 TCPUD-owned groundwater wells

Outstanding Recreation & Leisure Opportunities

Trails connect our community

Our 23-mile multi-use trail system continues to serve as a beloved recreation and transportation corridor for residents and visitors alike. In fact, in 2025, our automated trail counters recorded 575,000 trail users! We also conducted our first in-person trail surveys since 2019. Over 340 people participated in the surveys, with 98% rating their trail experience as Good or Excellent.

TCCC Planning & Feasibility Study

Building on the results of the joint North Tahoe Active Recreation Assessment, we began the initial planning process and feasibility study for a possible recreation and aquatic center at the current Tahoe City Community Center property located at 401 West Lake Boulevard.

Camp Sky’s New Home

We completed installation of the new Skylandia Lodge facilities, replacing our aging facility and providing a refreshed space for summer camp participant use.

By The Numbers

11,000 daily visits to our Recreation After School Program (RAP
21,844 rounds of golf played at Tahoe City Golf Course
1,400 children joined Camp Skylandia - our largest year ever!
17,650 attendees at Concerts at Commons hosted by Tahoe City Downtown Association

Infrastructure and Property Improvement & Protection

West Lake Tahoe Regional Water Treatment Plant

This Fall we celebrated the grand opening of the new West Lake Tahoe Regional Water Treatment Plant.

The new facility marks a major step forward in delivering a safe, year-round, drought-resilient source of drinking water and improved fire suppression capacity for west shore communities.

The road to this milestone began almost two decades ago when TCPUD began searching for a permanent solution to a temporary water treatment plant used to meet peak summer water demand. Located near Chambers Landing, just north of Tahoma, the new state-of-the-art facility replaces the temporary seasonal plant and will now provide a year-round water supply sourced directly from Lake Tahoe.

The project included construction of an underwater pump station and intake pipeline in Lake Tahoe to supply surface water to the treatment plant. The treatment plant uses advanced technology including membrane filtration and ultraviolet disinfection to ensure exceptional water quality.

Currently, the treatment plant can deliver one million gallons of water per day to west shore customers. Designed for a regional water supply, the treatment plant may be expanded to meet the needs of up to 2,400 west shore customers from Tahoma to Timberland.

Funding for the approximately $30 million project was made possible through a $19.7 million loan from the CA State Water Resources Control Board and $6.3 million in grant funding, including $5 million from CA Department of Water Resources, $775,000 from Placer County Water Agency, and $500,000 from El Dorado Water Agency.

“A project of this scale can only happen through strong partnerships, and TCPUD extends our deepest gratitude to the partners and funders who made this project possible.”
- TCPUD Board President Judy Friedman

Tahoe City Golf Course Irrigation Replacement

This $2.1 Million investment replaced the aged and failing irrigation system that had been in place since the 1970s. Crews installed over 40,000 feet of new irrigation pipe and smart watering technology to be more water efficient, improve turf coverage, and provide a better golf experience.

West Shore trail Reconstruction

Using a mix of property tax and grant dollars, TCPUD invested $4.8 Million to reconstruct 2.4 miles of the iconic Dianne Feinstein West Shore Tahoe Trail in 2025. The project improved pavement condition, trail alignment, visibility for pedestrians and vehicles, trail highway crossings, ADA compliance, and trail drainage. We are grateful for our funding support through the TOT-TBID Dollars at Work program and the Tahoe Fund.

Madden Creek Water System Reconstruction

In 2025, TCPUD invested $XX Million of property tax dollars to continue reconstruction of the entire Madden Creek Water System in Homewood. This year, crews installed over 5,500 feet of new, larger diameter water mains, 10 new fire hydrants, and 56 water meter pits for future meters. These improvements will help improve water flow and fire suppression capacity.

Tahoe Cedars Water System Reconstruction

This is one of the largest planned projects in TCPUD history. We reached an important milestone in 2025 with the selection of the project’s design-build contractor, Granite-DOWL. The first phase of construction is scheduled to begin in 2026.

Rubicon Water System Upgrades

In 2025 we invested approximately $3.6 Million to create a more resilient water system and improve water supply for fire suppression in the Rubicon neighborhoods. These projects included installation of permanent backup power, upsized water mains at the water tank, and improved connections between adjacent water systems. We are grateful for our funding support from El Dorado Water Agency and El Dorado County.

Long-term Financial Sustainability

Securing Infrastructure Financing

We established the Tahoe City Public Utility District Public Financing Authority, a new financing entity that strengthens the District’s ability to fund large-scale infrastructure investments. The Authority provides greater flexibility and access to capital markets, enabling the District to move forward with important public improvements projects such as the Madden Creek and Tahoe Cedars Water System Reconstruction Projects.

We continued to pursue and advance applications for low-interest federal and state loan programs, positioning the District to secure affordable, long-term financing. These efforts help reduce overall project costs, protect ratepayers, and ensure essential infrastructure improvements can be delivered in a financially responsible manner.

Excellence in Financial Reporting

The District’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association for the seventh consecutive year. This prestigious award reflects TCPUD’s ongoing dedication to excellence, transparency, and accountability in financial reporting.

Grant Funding

$3.1 million in grant funding received in 2025 to support projects like trail reconstruction, water system upgrades, and cybersecurity.

A Look Ahead: 2026 Budget

2026 Operating Revenues

Includes Utility rate revenue (Water & Sewer Funds), property tax revenue, and program/user fee revenue. Does not include loan/bond proceeds or grant revenue in the General Fund:

Water Fund: $12,598,520
Sewer Fund: $7,770,638
General Fund: $14,830,165

Did You Know?

Water & Sewer Utility Rates only pay for those services. They cannot be used for Parks, Recreation, or non-water/sewer costs. Parks and Recreation services are primarily funded by user fees and property tax revenues from the General Fund. Property tax revenue or General Fund dollars can fund the Water and Sewer Utilities, but these Utilities cannot fund non-Utility services.

Understanding Our Water Rates

By CA law, our costs-of-service are divided proportionally across all customers. Serving a small, customer base across a large, 31-square mile service area means the cost of building, maintaining, and operating water infrastructure is spread across far fewer customers compared to more suburban/urban water providers. With just 203 water customers per square mile, TCPUD’s lower population density directly influences the cost of providing reliable water service and, in turn, our water rates.

	# of Water Customers Per Square Mile of Service Area	2025 3/4-inch Metered Base Water Rate
TCPUD	203	$106.57
City of San Jose	705	$52.30
Sacramento Suburban	1,320	$39.35

Capital Project Budget 2020-2030

Year	Water Capital	Sewer Capital	Parks & Rec Capital
2020	$3,151,675.00	$1,226,804.00	$6,121,658
2021	$7,328,599.00	$95,722.00	$1,845,879
2022	$8,982,799.00	$1,816,491.00	$698,090
2023	$12,799,837.00	$1,816,111.00	$1,971,491
2024	$7,231,006.00	$2,459,602.00	$3,687,927
2025	$17,692,798.00	$4,319,056.00	$9,048,484
2026	$36,246,220.00	$6,205,954.00	$8,543,230
2027	$28,210,930.00	$4,669,060.00	$3,731,777
2028	$37,524,033.00	$5,052,112.00	$4,509,640
2029	$17,422,912.00	$2,184,113.00	$360,386
2030	$5,174,687.00	$3,279,167.00	$3,202,306

A Look Ahead: 2026 Projects and Priorities

Water System Reconstruction

In 2026, TCPUD will begin the final phase of the Madden Creek Water System Reconstruction Project which will install over 8,000 feet of new water main, 14 new fire hydrants, and customer water meters.

We also plan to begin the first phase of construction for the Tahoe Cedars Water System Reconstruction Project. The multi-phase project aims to replace 15 miles of undersized and failing water mains and install 100 new fire hydrants in areas that currently have none.

Dianne Feinstein West Shore Tahoe Trail Reconstruction

Thanks to funding support from the TOT-TBID Dollars-at-Work Program, we’ll continue rebuilding this beloved community trail between Sunnyside and 64-Acres to improve the trail surface, safety, and accessibility for all trail users.

2027-2031 Strategic Plan Update

As our current five-year Strategic Plan comes to an end, we’ll embark on planning for our 2027-2031 Strategic Plan. This will guide our high-level priorities, help build annual work plans, and allocate resources over the Strategic Plan period.

Strategic Priorities

Urban Water Management Plan: Updating this State-mandated plan will help the District ensure a long-term, sustainable water supply for our customers.
Greenhouse Gas Inventory: With funding support from California Tahoe Conservancy, we’ll continue our greenhouse gas inventory to help identify measures to reduce our emissions.
Long-Term Funding: We’ll continue our dedicated long-term financial planning process to ensure financial stability over the next 10 years.
IT Strategic Initiatives: To ensure the District’s technology stays at the forefront, we’re working on initiatives like a Cybersecurity Disaster Recovery Plan, an IT Assessment, and an IT Strategic Plan with grant funding support from Cal OES.