The Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) board of directors has awarded a $170.5m construction contract for the Ophir Water Treatment Plantin in Auburn, California, to W.M. Lyles, a locally based contractor.
The contract, approved as part of one of PCWA’s largest infrastructure investments, was granted following a competitive bid process that evaluated five prequalified contractors.
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W.M. Lyles submitted the lowest responsive and responsible bid, PCWA said.
Construction is scheduled to commence in October 2026, with the plant projected to be operational by 2030.
Once completed, the Ophir Water Treatment Plant will introduce an initial capacity of ten million gallons per day (MGD) of treated water to the region.
However, PCWA stated that the facility has been designed for a future capacity of up to 30 MGD and the associated pipelines can accommodate as much as 60 MGD if needed.
In addition, the new plant is expected to improve the performance of PCWA’s existing water system.
Once operational, the Ophir facility will work alongside PCWA’s Foothill plant in Newcastle and the Sunset plant in Rocklin, helping to meet growing demand.
The region will benefit from increased system redundancy, more flexible operations, and longer periods for essential maintenance at the Foothill facility during lower-demand months.
Integrated with PCWA’s existing reservoirs, pump stations, pipelines and treatment facilities, Ophir is intended to support the area’s long-term water supply reliability.
PCWA general manager Andy Fecko said: “The Ophir project is a reminder that reliable water doesn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of generations of planning, investment and stewardship, and it builds on that legacy by strengthening the systems our communities depend on.”
The Ophir Water Treatment Plant has been shaped in part by PCWA’s ongoing collaboration with the City of Lincoln.
Under an agreement signed in 2023, Lincoln made an upfront investment to purchase treatment capacity at the plant, which the agency said has helped reduced borrowing costs and improved regional water network connections with Lincoln and the City of Roseville.
Funding for construction comes from water connection charges paid by developers, intended specifically to finance infrastructure required for growth.
PCWA said the total project cost is currently estimated at $206m, which is below the board-approved budget of $230m.
PCWA board director Primo Santini said: “This project reflects years of thoughtful planning, strong regional partnerships and financial stewardship.
“Bringing those pieces together made this investment feasible and allowed us to move forward at the right time. This critical infrastructure will benefit residents and customers throughout western Placer while supporting the region’s future growth.”
The Ophir facility represents one of the agency’s largest infrastructure efforts in decades, alongside the new Colfax Water Treatment Plant, which is already under construction.
The groundwork for Ophir traces back nearly 30 years and includes several preparatory projects, such as the Ophir Road Pump Station, Auburn Tunnel Outlet Modifications, Ophir Road Pipelines and the Foothill Raw Water Pipeline.
With water demand expected to continue rising across western Placer, PCWA maintains that the construction of the Ophir plant is essential for meeting the region’s projected supply needs through 2030 and beyond.
