Does Your Property Have a Member-Owned Shutoff Valve?

What is a member-owned shutoff valve? 

From our bylaws: “Water Service Connection: the termination at which a member may connect to the Corporation’s water distribution system. It consists of a valve, commonly called the curb stop, or a water meter-and-valve combination.”
Please note: It doesn’t look like the above phot0, which is just for emphasis. 😉

“Every member-owned service line, either domestic or for fire protection, shall begin with a member-owned shutoff valve that is in addition to the Corporation’s service connection.”

Why should you care?

In the event of a water emergency (e.g., burst pipe) you’ll need to quickly turn off your water. For those members that don’t have their own shutoff valve between your home and the meter/service connection, (this is different than the shut-off valve you may have near your home) you may be forced to contact us to shut off your water. That comes with a hefty fee of $200, and another $200 to turn it back on, and while you’re waiting the water keeps flowing and the likelihood of damage, as you can imagine, increases. 

If you do shut off the water at the MWC curb stop yourself, that could cause some downstream (pardon the pun) effects. For example, damage to the lateral line that then necessitates repairs, at a cost to you. 

Worse yet, those repairs may require a system-wide water service interruption, which impacts everyone on the system, including your neighbors, again at a cost to you.

What should you do?

Have a licensed plumber install that shutoff valve as soon as possible and be sure to HAVE IT INSPECTED BY MWC before you utilize it. 

There are specific criteria for pipe and valve types and so MWC Members MUST contact the Water Co. to shut off the MWC curb stop before installing the member-owned shutoff valve and MUST also contact the Water Co. to turn on the MWC curb stop after installing the member-owned shutoff valve.

Doing this is much more cost-effective than dealing with potentially larger, and much more costly repairs to your home, or your neighbor’s home, or other members on the system.

We can help!

For more information or assistance in getting your member-owned shutoff valve installed, or if you’re not sure if you have a member-owned shut-off valve, contact us at markleevillewatercompany@gmail.com.

Our Leak is Repaired!

Thanks to all our members, especially those served by the leaking line who had to put up with two water shutdowns and two boil water notices.

MWC went from using 60 gallons per minute overnight to using only 9 gallons per minute. 

Thank you to everyone who conserved water while we found and fixed this leak. 

Please keep in mind the very low snowpack we received last winter. Even with this upcoming storm we are way behind that proverbial 8-ball.

Although we have water now, as we move into summer creek flows will decrease, and we may experience drought conditions. Plan now to use less water this summer.

Unfortunately, this spring is not the time for planting anything that will need extra water this summer.

Our water conservation measures remain in effect.

Click here, or on the Water Conservation Policies link at the top of this page, for those specific guidelines.

We’re Running Down That Leak and Appreciate Your Patience

Just a quick update…and a thank you.

We think we have the leak narrowed down to the Sawmill Road area and are testing for that now.

Photo by Maksim Romashkin on Pexels.com

No, that’s not one of our contractors, but we thought the image worked, especially since this area is known for its “rock-growing.” 😉

In any case, we thank you for your patience and continued concientious-water-use.

We’ll provide further updates when we can.

We wish you a happy Easter weekend!

Urgent – Potential Water Leak in Our System!

Markleeville Water Company Members, please curtail any unnecessary outdoor watering and look for water leaks on your and your neighbor’s property.

MWC is experiencing unexplained high water demand and we suspect a leak in our system.

Please call 530-694-1879 or 530-400-1849 if you see a water leak.

Thank you!

Thank You! – Our Water System Improvement Project Is Almost Complete

Last Monday, February 2nd, MWC installed the piping to connect the 238,000-gallon Pleasant Valley Tank to downtown Markleeville.

This will improve system resiliency and provide additional water volume to the fire hydrants in the event of a structure fire in downtown Markleeville.

This connection has been a goal of MWC’s for many years.

MWC would like to thank our members for their patience with the water service shutdown required for this installation. 

We continue to work with Haen Constructors to complete the Water System Improvement Project. 

However, the end is in sight, with final completion scheduled for March 31. 

Water Service Interruption on Monday, February 2nd, 2026!

The Water Co. is continuing to move forward with the Water System Improvement Project, and things are almost complete.

As part of the project, we will need to shut down water service to all property parcels in Markleeville and Marklee Village. This includes Hot Springs Rd. as well as all side streets from Pleasant Valley Rd. and parcels on Timber Lane.

This shut down will occur on Monday, February 2nd, 2026, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.

During this time, you will not have drinking water from any taps, nor be able to flush toilets so please plan ahead and store water accordingly.

Please contact Kris Hartnett @ 530-694-1879 if you have any questions.

We appreciate your patience as we complete this improvement project. 

Water Service Interruption on Thursday, October 9th, 2025!

The Water Co. is moving forward with the Water System Improvement Project.

As part of the project, a new section of pipe has been installed between Oxbow and Pinion Rd., to eliminate pipe on private property and increase pipe size to the Pleasant Valley tank. The ‘tie in’ work of the new section to the existing system will require shutting down water service to our customers in Marklee Village. 

Additionally, the new section of pipe will require disinfection prior to being put into service, which requires shutting down water service to all property parcels in Marklee Village, including those on Hot Springs Rd. as well as all side streets from Pleasant Valley Rd. and parcels on Timber Lane.

This shut down will occur on Thursday Oct 9, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.

During this time, you will not have drinking water from any taps, nor be able to flush toilets so please plan ahead and store water accordingly.

Please contact Kris Hartnett @ 530-694-1879 if you have any questions.

We appreciate your patience as we complete this improvement project. 

2025 Annual Meeting of the Membership

The annual meeting takes place this Saturday, August 2nd, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at the County Administration Building Board Room, 99 Water Street, Markleeville, CA. 96120.

Items on the agenda include approval of the restated bylaws, election of one board member, and the President’s report.

See the full agenda by clicking here.

Review the restated bylaws by clicking here.

We hope to see you this Saturday!

A Reminder as “Official Summer” Approaches – Water Conservation Is Always Necessary

Part of this post was originally published last August and we’re bubbling it up 😂 again now as the summer solstice approaches (on June 20th).

While our rivers and streams are flowing nicely today because of the spring runoff, and lakes are brimming due to that same influx of H20, as summer wanes into fall those supplies lessen significantly.

Hence this little reminder for us all.

There are existing Water Use Rules & Guidelines, and they can be viewed here.

Some highlights:

  • There is a watering schedule based on even and odd address numbers.
  • Total landscape watering should be limited to 2 hours on days you can/do water.
  • Pressure/power washing, hosing down sidewalks, driveways, or washing vehicles is prohibited.
  • No watering is allowed on Sundays. This allows us to replenish our finished-water tanks.

For those who are not aware, our water comes primarily from the Musser & Jarvis Creek (aka surface water). We can augment that as necessary (e.g., high turbidity in the creek) with well water but that supply is limited and used only when needed.

In the end, as our Operators reminded us during last month’s board meeting, it’s up to all of us to be good water stewards and conserve where we can.

Thank you for your continued conservation efforts and have a great summer!

Ps. The image in this post is of the water falls/pools off the Charity Valley Trail. That trail runs between Blue Lakes Road and Grover Hot Springs State Park.