The team at Utica Water and Power Authority (UWPA) is gearing up for what looks like a challenging week ahead with a cold front moving through that is expected to drop snow at low elevations.
The first round of this week’s storms blanketed Utica’s entire system with snow. While the scenes are beautiful, big challenges lie ahead for UWPA. PG&E power outages are likely to knock our hydroelectric plants offline, and with much heavier snowfall expected in the days ahead, we are preparing for trees and branches to break and fall into our 27-mile-long canal and flume system. This debris can pile up and create blockages that could cause the water to “overtop” canal banks and wash out sections of the system. To prevent this, our team is on high alert and will working day and night to clear debris and ensure the sole public water supply for Murphys, Vallecito and Angels Camp continues to flow without interruption.
Our community is fortunate to have such experienced team members who have years of experience keeping the system running, even in the most challenging conditions.
