The Sierraville Public Utility District (SPUD or District) was organized under the Public Utility Act of 1921.  The boundaries of the District were defined, and a petition was circulated to place a measure before the voters within District bounds.  The petition was signed by at least 15% of the “qualified electors” and was presented to the Sierra County Board of Supervisors, which body authorized a Special Election.  The ballot measure was entitled “Incorporation and Formation of the Sierraville Public Utility District”.  The voters approved the measure and SPUD became a Special District with its first Directors being elected on August 2, 1945.

 SPUD is a Public Agency which owns, operates, and maintains its water system providing water for domestic and fire suppression purposes to its customers located within its service territory generally described as the Community of Sierraville, California. Domestic demand is a combination of single-family residential and commercial accounts, including the Tahoe National Forest Sierraville Ranger District Station, Treasure Mountain Camp (seasonal youth), two restaurants, one café, two small hotels and the Caltrans Maintenance facility.

The District is governed by five elected/appointed Board Members serving four-year terms and operating as a California Special District. The District’s Mission is to provide a reliable supply of potable water that meets all State of California and Federal EPA requirements at the lowest possible cost to its customers. The system is permitted by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Division of Drinking Water and operated by Rose Water System Management.

The sole source of water is Railroad Spring, which consists of east and west collection systems. Railroad Spring is classified by the SWRCB as a percolating ground water source, located on Tahoe National Forest land and operated by the District under Special Use Permit #2007-4 (V.01/2014). The facilities occupy approximately 1.16 acres of land (all publicly owned) and the Permit allows “continued operation and maintenance of the existing buried collection system at Railroad Spring including a spring, fenced enclosure, pipeline, pump house, powerline and access road along with new construction activities and improvements.” 

In September 1958, the District received assignment of the water rights from Randolph Water Company, recorded August 16, 1960, in Volume 25, Page 294, Official Records of Sierra County.  The Members of Randolph Water Company joined in and signed the Agreement of Water Rights, recorded November 6, 1964, in Volume 38 Page 476, Official Records of Sierra County. The Agreement of Water Rights, signed by the Members of Randolph Water Company, provided in that the Water Users/Members of the Town of Randolph assigned to the District all of their right, title, and interest in and to the “water rights”, as defined and adjudicated in the Decree for the Middle Fork of the Feather River and Its Tributaries, filed with the Plumas County Superior Court.

This Agreement also provided, the following:

                “It is understood and agreed that after the water is put into the pipelines and is available to users and customers within the district, all inhabitants and residents shall have the right to use said water for domestic use and watering of small yards or areas, or other apportionments as shall or may be established by the Board of Directors of the Sierraville Public Utility District.”