Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
April 13, 2007
5. Agencies, Programs, People
W. Sac voters get look at scope of levee work - Sacramento Bee
Sacramento Schools May Be Paying For Levee Repairs - CBS Channel 13 (
FLOOD LEGISLATION:
Bill would make cities consider flood risk plans; Part of legislative package by Wolk, stalled last year - Woodland Daily Democrat
WATER SUPPLY AND QUALITY ISSUES:
Water customers get voice; PUC says Alco will be subject to public scrutiny - Monterey Herald
RATE HIKES:
PUC: Fontana Water Co. owes refund, but granted rate hike for next 3 years - San Bernardino Sun
W. Sac voters get look at scope of levee work
By Deb Kollars, staff writer
While one flood tax election is nearing an end, another on the West Sacramento side of the Sacramento River began revving up Thursday as property owners got a deeper look at the heavy-duty levee work their community needs and what they may have to pay for it.
According to a "Draft Engineer's Report" released Thursday, West Sacramento faces the same deep underseepage and levee stability problems that took the Natomas area by surprise last year.
Although final geotechnical findings still were not available Thursday, the engineer's report marked the first time
To address those deficiencies and raise protection to higher 200-year levels,
"People are beginning to understand this is something we need to do," said Steve Patek,
On the east side of the river, 140,000 property owners have until next Thursday to turn in ballots in the mail election being run by the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, known as SAFCA.
The agency, which includes large portions of
The money would help pay for $2.68 billion in levee improvements and work at Folsom Dam, with the bulk paid by state and federal sources.
The work would bring 200-year protection, meaning levees could handle massive storms with a 1 in 200 chance of occurring in any given year.
Right now, some areas of
Among major cities in
On Thursday, SAFCA will hold a 3 p.m. public hearing where people can comment on the assessment, turn in their ballots if they haven't already, or change their votes.
One week later, April 26, the election results are to be announced.
While that election winds down,
The city had completed $32 million worth of work on its levees between 1997 and 2004.
Since then, however, engineering standards for levees became more stringent, rainfall and storm patterns altered assumptions about potential floods, and Hurricane Katrina touched off a wave of awareness about flood risks -- all of which led
The city now is taking a double-barrel approach to solving its flood threats, asking not only existing property owners, but also new developments to chip in.
On Wednesday, the West Sacramento City Council gave initial approval to imposing fees on new developments for flood control improvements.
The proposed new assessment on existing properties is being handled through the West Sacramento Flood Control Agency, a joint powers authority.
The Draft Engineer's Report, found at www.westsacflood-protection.com, lays out the general nature of the work the assessment would cover, what it would cost, and how individual assessments would be calculated.
In all,
The new district would raise $42 million, the developer fees another $42 million, and the rest would come from state and federal sources, the report said.
The owners of 15,000 parcels in West Sacramento, including 12,000 single-family residences, will be asked to approve the assessments, said Shanna Zuspan, a
Under the direct benefit approach of the new district, individual assessments would vary depending on the depth of potential flooding and size and type of property. #
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/154261.html
Sacramento Schools May Be Paying For Levee Repairs
CBS Channel 13 (
By Rafer Weigel, reporting
(CBS13) SACRAMENTO The Sacramento Unified School District could have to shell out big bucks to repair levees. Money for books and supplies would instead have to go to fix levee. This will probably surprise some taxpayers. It may come down to if taxpayers have to spend money in order to save money.
140,000 ballots went out and 107 went to the
This vote will be part of larger city efforts to raise money city wide, to help $17-billion in federal funds. If this seems like a lot of money, a flood in
"As it has been seen in Katrina, communities are wiped out, it's a disaster. So we think the risk is high," said Stien Buer, Director of SAFCA.
The public meeting was at the La Serna Center in
Nobody has questioned if we need the levees, but taking the money from schools has some wondering what's going on. The good news is, even if they vote 'No', that's only 107 votes of 140,000 votes and the measure could still pass. #
http://cbs13.com/topstories/local_story_102221851.html
FLOOD LEGISLATION:
Bill would make cities consider flood risk plans; Part of legislative package by Wolk, stalled last year
Woodland Daily Democrat – 4/12/07
The State Assembly's Local Government Committee voted 4-2 Wednesday to approve legislation requiring local flood planning.
"AB 162 will make the connection between community planning and the threat of flooding," said the bill's author, 8th District Assemblywoman Lois Wolk. "The bill rectifies a glaring omission in current law, calling on local governments to consider flood risk in their general plans, just as they are currently required to consider the risk of earthquake and fire. This requires that local governments are fully informed when making land use decisions."
AB 162 addresses the disconnect between state flood protection and local land use planning by requiring local governments to incorporate flood planning requirements in their general plans.
The bill is identical to Wolk's AB 802, part of a package of Assembly flood protection legislation that stalled last year in the Senate. AB 802 was unopposed, as is AB 162, part of Wolk's current package of flood protection legislation.
Current law is explicit regarding planning requirements for areas prone to earthquakes or fire hazards. Yet the law is silent on specific requirements to assess the possibilities of floods - despite the fact that floods are the most common natural disaster in the country, and 40 percent of the nation's catastrophic flood risk is in
"AB 162 is a straightforward yet necessary step towards protecting our communities," said Wolk.
Among those testifying in support of the bill was Julia Maclay, speaking on behalf of the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
"We believe this bill will significantly advance the cause of integrating flood management in land use planning decisions," she said.
AB 162, which will next be heard in the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee, is also supported by the American Planning Association, California Central Valley Flood Control Association, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Planning and Conservation League, Regional Council of Rural Counties, and Sierra Club
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_5650895
WATER SUPPLY AND QUALITY ISSUES:
Water customers get voice; PUC says Alco will be subject to public scrutiny
By Jim
In a surprise move, the state Public Utilities Commission on Thursday decided that the water company known as Alco will be subject to public scrutiny of its water and service quality.
The commission approved a resolution calling for its staff to investigate Alco's service and customer complaints after reaffirming the company's right in principal to expand into an extended service area of more than 2,000 acres in
But Alco was also ordered not to offer service to any more customers in the extended service area, where it has already been allowed to expand, until the investigation is complete. And, said Salinas City Attorney Vanessa Vallarta, the commission could actually give the go-ahead to a competing water company -- San Jose-based California Water Service Co. -- to provide service in the extension area instead of Alco, except for three customers Alco is already serving.
Alco currently serves about 8,000 households in
Salinas City Councilman Sergio Sanchez hailed the commission's decision as a "great victory" after extended efforts to get the PUC to hold public hearings on Alco's expansion.
"We turned it around," Sanchez said, citing the efforts by city, county and schools officials, and other community members, to push for the investigation. Many testified at Thursday's meeting in
Tom Adcock, vice president of Alco, said the investigation is an opportunity for the local utility to "shine a little."
"We're very much looking forward to (the investigation)," Adcock said. "We wholeheartedly support it."
Vallarta called the resolution a "constructive compromise" that addresses the city's issues with Alco, including whether it makes sense for a water company that has drawn so many complaints to further expand its service parameters.
"It's a very positive and creative development that I think will help us get our questions answered," Vallarta said. The main question, she said, is "why are customers still complaining so much and what can be done to address those complaints?"
Fred Curry, PUC water division chief, said the investigation will include an administrative law judge overseeing a series of public hearings, including at least one each in
Based on the judge's findings, Alco could be allowed to go ahead with offering service to customers in the extended area, or it could be limited to existing customers. Curry said the commission could also request that the water company go into receivership.
In 2000, Alco was found guilty of hundreds of violations of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, including intentional false reporting. Four years later, the courts ordered Alco to sell seven of its eight systems, with the exception of the
Alco maintains that it has made many operating and system improvements that should allow it to expand.
As part of the PUC's resolution, the local company will be required to construct a five million-gallon water tank, as ordered by the courts, in an effort to improve weak water pressure.
Sanchez said the city will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. today in front of Alco on
The city-county Alco water service subcommittee is also planning a meeting at 6 p.m. Monday at
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/17071644.htm
RATE HIKES:
PUC: Fontana Water Co. owes refund, but granted rate hike for next 3 years
By Leonor Vivanco, staff writer
At least that's what Mayor Mark Nuaimi thinks of the ruling issued Thursday by the California Public Utilities Commission over Fontana Water Co. water rates.
"This decision will continue to screw the residents of
The city,
They opposed a proposed 24percent rate hike over three years and appealed a 32 percent increase over three years, now in effect.
The company, a division of the privately owned San Gabriel Valley Water Co., requested the increases to cover the company's operating and infrastructure expenses, including the $35million upgrade of the Sandhill treatment plant in north
The commission ruled ratepayers were due a refund but were also subject to increases in their rates later.
So what that means is water customers will see their rates and bills watered down in about 30 days, said Rick Ruiz, San Gabriel Water consultant and spokesman.
But that's only going to last a couple of months since the new fiscal year begins July 1, he said. That's when rate increases will kick in for at least the next two years, but they won't be as much as the water company wanted.
The water company was waiting to see the PUC's order and did not have the new rates calculated yet, Ruiz said.
Low-income customers can save even more - 50 percent of their monthly service charge - if they sign up with the company, Ruiz reminded water users.
Fontana Water has 44,000 connections to homes and businesses in
The mayor urged customers to be wary of the so-called refund.
"I hope the residents don't go spending it because it's going to be eaten up in the next three years," Nuaimi said.
"Take your refund and put in a bunch of water conservation devices in your house to try to cut your water usage."
The company believes the decision was well reasoned, Ruiz said.
"It's a matter of balancing the needs of the water company and the community," he said.
"This is a case the commission did a good job of balancing the needs of the water company to build infrastructure that is going to provide a reliable source of safe drinking water well into the future," Ruiz said.
The company's infrastructure projects were approved. "It's validation the company is doing a good job of managing for the future," Ruiz said of the commission's ruling.
The company found itself in some hot water.
For the first time, the water company was fined, Ruiz said, adding that no decision has been made to appeal the fine.
The city plans on appealing to the PUC for a rehearing, the mayor said.
"The water bills will continue to climb. It may get to the point where bottled water may be cheaper to bathe in than
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