Placerville reports unaccounted water down to 15.86% in 2025 after years of pipe replacements

Placerville’s Finance Department presented its water sales and unaccounted‑water report for calendar years 2023–2025 at the Feb. 24 council meeting, reporting that unaccounted water fell to 166 acre‑feet (15.86%) in 2025.

According to the report, the city purchased city‑delivered water through El Dorado Irrigation District (EID) and historically had high unaccounted‑water rates (the presentation cited a 36% unaccounted rate in 2017). The director credited a sustained program of water‑line replacements funded by Measures H and L with reducing unaccounted water since 2018. The report said unaccounted water had risen in 2023 and 2024—attributed in part to two major water main breaks—but that 2025 marked the lowest unaccounted‑water rate since 2019.

The presentation included cumulative savings due to reduced unaccounted water; the finance director reported a cumulative reduction in unaccounted water since 2018 that she said resulted in $724,112 in annual water‑purchase cost savings. Councilmembers and members of the Measure H/L committee praised the investments and urged continued coordination with EID to address localized leaks the public identified.

There were no substantive council questions and the report was received and filed.