Utilities, Water, and Waste in Boulder Creek: Who Serves What

The short version

• Electricity: PG&E. Report an outage at 1-800-743-5002. For a downed line, get clear, call 911, then PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.
• Water: most homes are on the San Lorenzo Valley Water District (831-338-2153); outlying parcels run on private wells.
• Sewer or septic: mostly septic, overseen by Santa Cruz County Environmental Health (831-454-2022). A slice of town near the core is on the CSA 7 county sewer.
• Trash, recycling, and organics: GreenWaste Recovery (831-426-2711), and it's now mandatory countywide.
• Propane and internet: you choose your own provider, so check what actually reaches your address before you commit.

When the power drops and the well pump goes quiet, there's no city hall up here to sort it out for you. Boulder Creek is unincorporated county, so each service has its own provider, and knowing who to call is half the job.

Electricity comes from PG&E. Water for most homes comes from the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, though plenty of properties run on private wells. Most homes treat waste on septic systems overseen by Santa Cruz County Environmental Health, while a slice of town near the core is on a county-run sewer. Trash, recycling, and organics pickup is GreenWaste Recovery, the county's franchised hauler, and it's not optional anymore. Many households heat with delivered propane from private suppliers you pick yourself, and internet depends on your exact address, so look it up rather than trusting a list.

One standing caveat for the whole page: service territories and providers change, and boundaries here are parcel-specific. When a decision matters, confirm with the provider directly.

Electricity: PG&E

PG&E is the electric utility for Boulder Creek and the rest of the San Lorenzo Valley. For outages, the PG&E Outage Center has the live outage map, reporting tools, and alert signups, and the 24-hour outage line is 1-800-743-5002.

A downed line is a different call. Get well away from it, dial 911 first, then PG&E's emergency line at 1-800-743-5000. General customer service, including starting or stopping service when you move, is 1-877-660-6789, around the clock.

Two things are worth knowing as a mountain customer. PG&E is regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission, which also oversees Public Safety Power Shutoffs, the planned outages PG&E can call during high fire-risk weather. Outages are enough of a fact of life here that they deserve their own plan; our power outage plan for mountain households covers alerts, generators, and food safety.

On the gas side, don't assume. Some addresses have PG&E natural gas service and many mountain properties don't, relying on delivered propane instead. Check with PG&E about what's actually connected at your address before you buy appliances that expect one or the other.

Water: SLV Water District or Your Own Well

The San Lorenzo Valley Water District has supplied water in the valley since 1941 and serves Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Ben Lomond, Lompico, Zayante, Scotts Valley, Manana Woods, and Felton through more than 7,900 connections. The district office is right in town at 13060 Highway 9, and the phone number is 831-338-2153. Starting or stopping service, billing questions, and leak reports all go through the district; the website has a start and stop service section, and for anything urgent, call.

Not every Boulder Creek property is a district customer, though. Outlying parcels and some older neighborhoods run on private wells or small shared systems, and the only reliable way to know a specific property's status is to ask the district or look at what the seller discloses in escrow.

If you're on a well, you're your own water utility: testing, treatment, and the pump are on you, and Santa Cruz County Environmental Health is the local agency that regulates individual water systems. Keep in mind that a well pump needs electricity, which is exactly why well households should read the power outage plan.

Sewer or Septic: Probably Septic

Most Boulder Creek homes treat wastewater on-site with a septic system. The oversight agency is Santa Cruz County Environmental Health, which permits new systems, repairs, and upgrades, and handles maintenance requirements. If you're buying, building, or your drainfield is acting up, they're the call: 831-454-2022, or EnvironmentalHealth@santacruzcountyca.gov. Septic in the San Lorenzo Valley is its own subject, with small lots, steep slopes, and creeks nearby, so involve the county early rather than after a contractor has started digging.

There are two exceptions to the septic rule. A portion of the Boulder Creek community is connected to a sanitary sewer run by the county as County Service Area 7, Boulder Creek Sanitation, which operates its own treatment facility; connected properties pay an annual sewer charge on the property tax bill, and the county's number for the district is 831-454-2160.

Separately, the water district owns and operates a small wastewater system serving roughly 56 homes in Bear Creek Estates. If you're not sure which category your property falls into, check your property tax bill for a sewer service charge, or call the county.

Trash, Recycling, and Organics: GreenWaste Recovery

Curbside collection in unincorporated Santa Cruz County, which includes all of Boulder Creek, is franchised to GreenWaste Recovery. Single-family homes get weekly pickup of garbage, recycling, and organics, with garbage carts from 20 to 96 gallons and recycling and organics carts included at no extra charge. To sign up or ask about service on a private road, call 831-426-2711 or email SantaCruzCS@GreenWaste.com.

Here's the part that catches people: service is now mandatory. Under the county's universal service requirement, every developed property in the unincorporated county must either subscribe with GreenWaste or register with the county as a self-hauler, and the county has set a compliance deadline of November 1, 2026, with fines that start at $100 and escalate from there. If you've been quietly trunk-hauling your own bags for years, this is the year to get legal, one way or the other.

For everything the truck won't take, the nearest facility is the Ben Lomond Transfer Station at 9835 Newell Creek Road in Ben Lomond. It also hosts a household hazardous waste drop-off on Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., which is where old paint, batteries, pesticides, and motor oil should go; bring proof of residency, and call 831-454-2606 with questions. Check the county Public Works site for the station's current general hours before you load the truck.

Propane and Heating Fuel

If your home heats or cooks with propane, you're dealing with a private, competitive market rather than a utility with an assigned territory. That has a real upside: you can shop. Suppliers differ on per-gallon price, tank rental versus ownership, delivery schedules, and minimums, so it pays to call two or three, ask neighbors who they use, and request current pricing in writing before you commit.

If you're new to a propane house, find the tank, learn to read the percentage gauge, and don't let it run low heading into a stretch of winter storms, when delivery schedules get tight for everyone. We're deliberately not naming suppliers here because companies and coverage change; your neighbors' current recommendations will be fresher than any list we could publish.

Internet and Phone

Anyone who promises you a tidy list of Boulder Creek internet providers is guessing, because availability genuinely varies street by street in the San Lorenzo Valley. The reliable method takes five minutes: put your exact address into the FCC National Broadband Map, which shows every provider that reports service at your location and what speeds they claim.

Treat those listings as claims to verify, not guarantees, then confirm with each provider's own address checker before you schedule anything, and ask the closest neighbors what they actually use and how it holds up in winter. That last step is the one that saves you, because a provider that's fine in town can be a different experience at the end of a long canyon road.

Whatever you choose, remember that home internet and cordless phones die with the power. If you work from home, think through your outage fallback, whether that's a cell plan with hotspot data or knowing which nearby spots have power and signal.

Who to Call: The Short List

Keep this somewhere findable.

• Downed line: stay far away, call 911 first, then PG&E's emergency line at 1-800-743-5000.
• Power outage with no downed line: PG&E's 24-hour outage line, 1-800-743-5002.
• Water service, leaks, or billing on district water: San Lorenzo Valley Water District, 831-338-2153.
• Septic permits and problems: County Environmental Health, 831-454-2022.
• Sewer questions in the CSA 7 area: 831-454-2160.
• Trash, recycling, and organics: GreenWaste Recovery, 831-426-2711.
• Household hazardous waste: 831-454-2606.
• County emergency alerts: sign up for CruzAware at cruzaware.org so road closures and evacuation notices reach you directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my house is on SLVWD water or a well?

Check your mail for a water bill from the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, or call the district at 831-338-2153 with your address and ask. If you're buying a home, the disclosures should say, but verify with the district anyway, because boundaries are parcel-specific and small shared systems exist too.

Is garbage service really required in Boulder Creek?

Yes. The county's universal service requirement says every developed property in the unincorporated county must subscribe with GreenWaste Recovery or register as a self-hauler, with a compliance deadline of November 1, 2026 and escalating fines after that. Call GreenWaste at 831-426-2711 to get set up.

Is Boulder Creek on sewer or septic?

Mostly septic, overseen by County Environmental Health. The exceptions are properties connected to the CSA 7 Boulder Creek Sanitation sewer in part of town, which show a sewer charge on the property tax bill, and about 56 homes in Bear Creek Estates on a small district-run system.

What internet providers serve Boulder Creek?

It depends on your exact address, so look yours up on the FCC National Broadband Map and then confirm with each provider directly. Coverage changes street by street in the valley, and neighbors on your own road are the best source for how a connection really performs.

Where do I take paint, batteries, and other hazardous waste?

To the household hazardous waste drop-off at the Ben Lomond Transfer Station, 9835 Newell Creek Road, on Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., per the county's HHW page. Bring proof of residency, and call 831-454-2606 if you're not sure an item is accepted.

Last reviewed June 25, 2026. Service territories, rates, and county rules change, so confirm anything decision-critical with the provider or agency directly.

Keep this page handy, and for the rest of what a mountain household needs to run, see the Residents guide for utilities, permits, and county contacts in one place.