PCWA Breaks Ground on Ophir Water Treatment Plant
Oct 16, 2026 09:31AM ● By PCWA News Release
PCWA Board members and regional leaders ceremonially break ground on the Ophir Water Treatment Plant on October 15, 2026. The $206 million facility will expand drinking water treatment capacity and strengthen water reliability in western Placer County. Photo courtesy of PCWA
OPHIR, CA (MPG) — The Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) broke ground on the Ophir Water Treatment Plant, launching construction of a major regional facility that will help meet future water needs and strengthen service for existing customers throughout western Placer County.
The project’s total cost is estimated at approximately $206 million, and the plant is expected to begin operating in 2030. Its first phase will add capacity to treat 10 million gallons of drinking water per day, supporting communities including Lincoln, Loomis and Rocklin and unincorporated western Placer County.
“I believe Ophir will stand as one of the defining infrastructure investments of our generation,” PCWA Director Primo Santini, whose district includes Lincoln and much of western Placer County said. “Just as we benefit today from the vision and investments of those who came before us, future generations will depend on the decisions we’re making now.”
PCWA Board Chair Josh Alpine and Santini joined Placer County Board of Supervisors Chair Shanti Landon, Lincoln Mayor Richard Pearl, and PCWA General Manager Andy Fecko for the ceremony at the Ophir Road site. Regional partners, contractors and PCWA employees also gathered to mark the milestone.
“Projects like Ophir don't happen overnight,” Fecko said. “They take decades of planning, investment, and people committed to making decisions and carrying them through. Today, all that work is coming together as we break ground on a facility that will serve this region for generations.”
PCWA Board Director Primo Santini speaks about the generational importance of the Ophir Water Treatment Plant during the October 15 groundbreaking ceremony. Photo courtesy of PCWA
Ophir builds on the water supply secured through PCWA’s Middle Fork American River Project and nearly three decades of investment in the infrastructure needed to deliver that water to communities. Earlier projects included the American River Pump Station, Ophir Road Pump Station, Ophir Road Pipelines and Foothill Raw Water Pipeline.
Those facilities provided operational benefits as they were completed while preparing the system for the new treatment plant. PCWA timed Ophir’s construction so that additional capacity will be available as projected demand requires it.
Once operational, Ophir will work in coordination with PCWA’s Foothill plant in Newcastle and Sunset plant in Rocklin. The additional treatment location will give PCWA greater flexibility during maintenance and unexpected events. It will also allow more time for essential rehabilitation work at Foothill, PCWA’s largest treatment facility, during lower-demand months.
The plant is master planned for expansion to 30 million gallons per day. Underground pipelines are designed to accommodate up to 60 million gallons per day should future regional needs require additional capacity.
The project also reflects PCWA’s longstanding partnership with Lincoln. Through a 2023 funding agreement, the city invested upfront in future capacity, helping reduce PCWA’s borrowing needs while preparing both agencies to serve their communities.
“Lincoln is investing in water infrastructure for today’s residents and for the community Lincoln will become over the coming decades,” Pearl said. “Partnering with PCWA helps both agencies plan ahead for the water supply and infrastructure their residents and businesses will need, while strengthening water reliability across the region.”
Water connection charges associated with new development fund the infrastructure needed to expand capacity. This approach places the cost of serving growth on new connections.
Construction is also supporting local jobs and businesses. Locally based W.M. Lyles Co. is building the plant under a $170.5 million construction contract awarded in August. Nine California-based companies, including eight based in the region, are expected to participate in the first three weeks of site work alone.
For project information and updates, visit pcwa.net/ophir-wtp.
