Your Public Utility District
Skamania Public Utility District (PUD) is a municipal corporation or special purpose district of the State of Washington. As such, it is governed by a board of three publicly elected commissioners and managed and operated by the PUD employees. So, the PUD and its assets are publicly owned and its employees are public servants – like a city and its assets and employees but with the special purpose to deliver utility services.
Electric Utilities
Skamania PUD provides electricity to nearly 6,750 customers in southern Skamania County. The PUD is a full-service customer of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) meaning Skamania PUD by contract purchases all of its electrical energy from BPA. BPA is a federal agency created to market and transmit power generated by the Federal Columbia River hydro-power system. As a federal agency, BPA sells power to its customers at the cost of generation and transmission. In turn, Skamania PUD provides electricity to our customers at the cost of purchase and delivery. As residents of the Pacific Northwest we benefit from the least expensive electric energy in the US.
Water Utilities
Skamania PUD serves water to more than 1,148 customers in the Carson area. Surface water from Bear Creek is the primary source of water for the Carson system. About 395 water customers are served in Underwood. The Underwood system draws its water from springs and a well at the base of the bluffs near the Columbia River; the water is pumped nearly 1,500 feet up to the top of the distribution system. As with electricity, the PUD provides water at the cost of production and delivery. The water systems are regulated by the Washington State Department of Health.