The Union Public Utility District (UPUD) was formed on July 26, 1946 as an independent special district. The District was formed to provide agricultural and domestic water services. PG&E provided water to the UPUD service area until 1961 when UPUD acquired its water supply and distribution system from the Calaveras Water Users Association. The boundaries of UPUD extend in the north to the Utica Canal, north of Murphys, and encompass the community of Murphys, Vallecito, and Douglas Flat; then the boundaries extend south along South Ditch to include the community of Carson Hill. The District has a boundary area of approximately 19.1 square miles. The District relies directly on Utica Water & Power Authority (UWPA) for delivery of surface water from the North Fork Stanislaus River to UPUD facilities. The UPUD water treatment plant has a capacity of 2 million gallons per day, and the UPUD residential demand in 2010 was 1,034 acre feet. As of 2011, the District has 1,604 connections, which include 1,382 single and multi-family connections, 123 commercial and 99 irrigation meter connections. Average daily flow treated at the facility is 850,000 gallons.