For the past 10 years, the Sacramento County Water Agency (SCWA) has been working to improve the water system in the Arden Area. The Arden Service Area Pipe and Meter Installation Project is installing approximately 38 miles of new distribution pipelines, and nearly 3000 new water meters.
This year, the Arden Service Area Pipe and Meter Installation Project was named the 2025 Project of the Year in the Sacramento Region. The award was presented to Project Manager Helen Rocha at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Sacramento Awards Banquet.
SWCA accepted the award for Phase 3 of the Arden Service Area project. Phase 3 of the Project installed over 8 miles of new distribution pipelines, 618 new service lines and meters, as well as 85 fire hydrants.
The overall project is a multi-phased water meter installation program that is replacing aged and undersized water mains and installing nearly 38 miles of new distribution pipelines, 3000 new water meters to home that didn’t have them, and new fire hydrants. SCWA began this project to meet a 2004 law requiring all homes and businesses to have water meters.
Rocha and her team have nearly completed the entire multi-phase project as they wrap up Phases 4, 5, and 6. That work is expected to be completed in 2026.
This is the fourth ASCE award given to the Arden Service Area Pipe and Meter Installation Project since the project began in 2016. It’s the first time it has won Project of the Year. In 2022, the Phase 2A portion of the project won both a local award and Statewide ASCE award for Outstanding Community Improvement Project. Phase 1A won a local ASCE award in 2020.
You can learn more about the entire project at www.ardenservicemeters.org.