HomeMy WebLinkAbout3321-25 Commemorating 75 Years of Serving Lake Tahoe Community2
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RESOLUTION NO. 3321-25
A RESOLUTION BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT COMMEMORATING
75 YEARS OF SERVING THE LAKE TAHOE COMMUNITY WITH
RELIABLE WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICES
AND FOR PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES SAFELY, EFFICIENTLY AND COST EFFECTIVELY
WHEREAS, the South Tahoe Public Utility District was formed in 1950 after residents
realized that septic tanks and raw sewage were contaminating Lake Tahoe;
WHEREAS, under the leadership of Les Nagy, a local septic business owner, voters
overwhelmingly approved the creation of a public sewer district;
WHEREAS, the District pioneered environmental protection for Lake Tahoe in the
1960s, by building the world's first advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant;
WHEREAS, the District began exporting all recycled water out of the Basin through
a pipeline over Luther Pass to Alpine County in response to new water quality laws;
WHEREAS, the District built Indian Creek and Harvey Place Reservoirs to safely store
recycled water outside the Basin;
WHEREAS, during the 1970s and 1980s, the District purchased multiple private water
companies to expand services to include drinking water and deliver high -quality
Tahoe Tap to the South Shore community;
WHEREAS, the District was recognized nationally in the 1990s, earning the
Environmental Protection Agency's Wastewater Treatment Plant of the Year
award and serving a key role in the first Lake Tahoe Summit, which has since
funneled billions of dollars into environmental restoration;
WHEREAS, MTBE contaminated District wells in the late 1990s, the District filed the
first U.S. MTBE lawsuit and was awarded a $69 million settlement - helping shape
national environmental law and protecting Tahoe's drinking water supply;
WHEREAS, through innovation and resilience the District has become a 100%
recycled wastewater operation, securing Diamond Valley Ranch to ensure long-
term recycled water storage, investing heavily in fire protection infrastructure, and
continues to lead water conservation efforts throughout California's record
droughts;
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WHEREAS, the Lake Tahoe community persevered through the Angora Fire in 2007,
and the Tamarack and Caldor Fires in 2021, when District staff worked diligently
side -by -side with firefighters under evacuation orders to keep the water flowing
and wastewater treated;
WHEREAS, the District will off -set one third of power consumption at the
Wastewater Treatment Plant with a one -megawatt solar array in 2025, expected to
save more than $8.5 million over its lifetime;
WHEREAS, the District has secured more than $18 million in grants and $79 million in
low -interest loans including grant funds over the past 20 years;
WHEREAS, the District employs 118 exceptional employees dedicated to serving
14,283 water connections and 18,390 sewer connections within the Basin;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Directors of South Tahoe Public
Utility District hereby officially commemorate 75 years of dedicated service to the
community, recognizing that the South Tahoe Public Utility District has been
devoted to protecting and advocating for Lake Tahoe, delivering exceptional
drinking water, and providing reliable wastewater services.
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, do hereby certify that the above and foregoing
Resolution No. 3321-25 was duly and regularly adopted and passed by the Board
of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility District at a Regular meeting held on
the 2nd day of October, 2025, by the following vote:
AYES: Haven, Romsos, Henderson, Sheehan, Exline
NOES:
ABSENT:
Shane Romsos, Board Vice President
South Tahoe Public Utility District
ATTEST:-
Mclonie Guttry, Executive Services Manager/
Clerk, of the Board
South Tahoe Public Utility District
Resolution No. 3321-25
Page 2
October 2, 2025