MARYSVILLE, Calif. Oct. 16, 2019 – Residents in Challenge, Rackerby, Brownsville and Forbestown will have a more reliable, safe drinking water supply with the help of funding from Yuba Water Agency.
The grant, worth up to $225,725, was approved by the water agency and provides the necessary funds for the North Yuba Water District to continue its Forbestown Ditch to Pipeline Replacement Project, which is the conveyance system that provides water to approximately 3,100 customers in the foothill communities.
“This is a very good project that will be extremely beneficial to the community,” said Yuba Water Agency Vice Chairman Randy Fletcher. “It will ensure that North Yuba Water District customers have better access to a reliable supply of safe drinking water.”
Water is currently delivered through an unpiped ditch, which has experienced multiple breaches in the past. Additionally, up to 60 percent of the water traveling down the ditch is lost due to seepage and evaporation, and the remaining is prone to contamination from dirt, trash, metals and illegal marijuana grows.
“Piping the ditch will vastly improve, if not completely resolve, the issues that we currently experience,” said NYWD General Manager Jeff Maupin. “This will be extremely beneficial for delivering water to our customers and curtailing the amount of water that is currently lost.”
NYWD will use the funding from Yuba Water Agency for the next phase of the project, which includes, but is not limited to, California Environmental Quality Act work, landowner agreements and further grant preparations.
Yuba Water Agency invests in infrastructure projects like this to ensure access to a safe, reliable water supply for Yuba County residents, which is one of the agency’s primary mission areas.