The Folsom Lake Intake supplies raw water from Folsom Lake to the El Dorado Hills Water Treatment Plant (EDHWTP) where it is treated and then conveyed to customers in El Dorado Hills. The water supplied through this system is critical to provide reliable potable water especially during the warmer months when water demands increase dramatically.
The original intake was constructed in 1958 and additional pumps were installed in 1994. Both systems have reached the end of their useful life as constructed and have become increasingly unreliable in recent years. A temporary third phase was constructed in 2010 however the temporary pumps have since failed entirely.
In addition to reliability issues, the facility must be modified to allow selective withdrawal of water based on temperature in order to preserve the cold-water pool in Folsom Lake to help enhance downstream habitat for anadromous fish (i.e., salmon and steelhead). The temperature control device (TCD) is a requirement of EID’s contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to allow EID to access its full allotment of water rights, which will be needed as demands in El Dorado Hills continue to increase.
The Folsom Lake Intake is a critical component to EID’s raw water supply. It is EID’s sole source of water from Folsom Lake, which makes up approximately 1/3 of EID’s water supply. Given its age and deteriorated condition, past pump failures, unnecessarily complex and outdated two stage pumping system, ongoing safety issues, and the difficulty in obtaining repair parts for 1958 vintage booster pumps, EID has made replacement of portions of the facility a high priority for the District.
