Crews were out working along Berkeley and Taylor roads this week fitting pipeline that will bring the residents of Turlock a new source of drinking water, hopefully, by next year.

Through the Regional Surface Water Supply Project, Tuolumne River water will be treated at a new state-of-the-art water treatment plant to provide Ceres and Turlock with clean, safe, reliable drinking water. The City of Turlock has been working for 30 years to secure this alternate drinking source, as its current drinking water supply is 100% groundwater — and dwindling. 

Studies for the project began in 2016, with design taking place from 2018 to 2021. Last year, construction on the project began. The transmission pipeline to Turlock, which will transport 30 million gallons of water per day from Fox Grove to a storage tank on Quincy Road, is nearly complete.

In December 2017, the City of Turlock adopted a new water rate structure beginning in 2018 and increasing every year for five years to help service current groundwater wells and fund the new $220 million surface water treatment project. Turlock and Ceres borrowed $184.9 million for the plant after receiving $35 million in grant funds, but borrowing from the State Revolving Fund at 1.2% interest rate has saved the project $100 million it would have incurred through municipal bond financing.

The new water rate schedule was projected to see a single-family bill at $36 a month for water in 2017 rise to $42 a month starting in March 2018, $49 a month in 2019, $57 in 2020, $67 in 2021 and $79 in 2022. The new rate includes a $25 month service fee for the typical single-family home, which covers the cost of securing the water source and delivering it to the customer.

To keep up to date with the water treatment facility’s construction, visit www.stanrwa.com.