A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 4, 2007
2. Supply
ESALINATION:
A SEA OF UNTAPPED RESOURCES; Is desalination drought answer?; DESPITE HIGH COST, OCEAN UNLIMITED SOURCE OF WATER - San Jose Mercury News
Seawater desalination project 'urgent' - North
Desalting plant again idle -
Trial Run of Desalting Plant Ends - KTAR 92.3 (Phoenix
WATER TRANSFER:
Bay Area's thirsty; Oakdale district may help - Modesto Bee
KERN RIVER CONDITIONS:
Dry summer on Kern; Costs scuttle efforts to keep water flowing through city this summer - Bakersfield Californian
WATER CONSERVATION:
A lush, green lawn is going to cost you; Cities turning to tiered rates to curb water use this summer - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
WATER METERING:
Editorial: Water fight becomes an unfortunate business - Desert Sun
DESALINATION:
A SEA OF UNTAPPED RESOURCES; Is desalination drought answer?; DESPITE HIGH COST, OCEAN UNLIMITED SOURCE OF WATER
By Paul Rogers, staff writer
New dams are controversial. And this week, a two-inch endangered fish shut down the pumps at
Samuel Taylor Coleridge's famous line about the ocean - "water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink" - has always been true in
Although 10 years ago there were none, today 20 desalination projects are on the drawing board in California's coastal areas from San Diego to Marin County, including one of the largest desalination plants in the world proposed for the Bay Area.
Filtering salty ocean water into drinkable fresh water is expensive. And environmental challenges loom. But groundbreaking on several facilities may start within two years.
"It's one of those `perfect storm' situations," said Tom Pankratz, a
"When it comes to water, whether you are a person or a city or a country, there are four options," he said. "You can conserve water, you can store more water, you can reuse your water, or you can find a new source. The only new and inexhaustible source is the sea."
New technology has cut the cost of filtering ocean water in half since 1990. Still, the process, which uses large amounts of electricity, can cost at least three times as much as other ways.
Proposals advance
In large part because of high costs, none of
Among them:
Long Marine Laboratory, with the hopes of opening a permanent $40 million desalination plant nearby by 2011 to supply 15 percent of city water during droughts.
Two large desalination projects are proposed for Moss Landing, using cooling water now pumped from the ocean into the huge Moss Landing power plant, as a way to provide water to the perennially dry
Most ambitiously, the Santa Clara Valley Water District is working with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, East Bay Municipal Utility District and Contra Costa Water District to hire a firm by next month to build a $1.9 million pilot desalination project in
That project is a joint effort to turn brackish water from
"Desalination is one of the few sources of water that is immune from drought," said Pam John, desalination project manager for the Santa Clara Valley Water District. "Folks planned different water supplies for us long ago. And now we need to make sure we plan for the future."
If all 20 of the proposed plants across the state were built,
"
In two years, Karajeh's department has handed out $50 million in grants to fund studies and pilot plants at two dozen
Still, big hurdles remain.
Environmental concern
Fish, shrimp, even marine mammals can be crushed against intake pipes if desalination facilities aren't well built. The plants also put large amounts of brine back into oceans and bays, though usually diluted with treated wastewater or cooling water from power plants at as much as 100-1 ratios.
Environmentalists also are worried that because desalination would provide more water, it could encourage more people to move to rural and pristine areas.
"Desalination is a false promise," said Mark Massara, coastal advocate for the Sierra Club. "It isn't good for
The main political challenge for most desalination projects is the California Coastal Commission. The panel has approved several pilot projects, but no major new plants. It eyes them warily.
The commission's executive director, Peter Douglas, said desalination plants should be sure to protect marine life, contain sprawl and be publicly owned to limit corporate control of water.
"My position has always been that desal is clearly part of our water future,"
Commission votes on two large projects in
How would they work?
In most modern plants, salt water is pumped through fine filters at as much as 1,000 pounds per square inch - as much as a pressure washer uses to clean sidewalks - in a process known as reverse osmosis.
The Bay Area water agencies now studying desalination began examining sites in 2003. They chose three finalists: Ocean Beach in San Francisco, where they estimate filtering salty ocean water would cost $2,700 an acre foot; the Bay Bridge, near Oakland, where less salty water would cost $2,500 an acre foot to produce; or Pittsburg, where fresher delta water would cost $500 to $1,200 an acre foot. An acre foot is enough water for a family of five for a year.
By comparison, it now costs the Santa Clara Valley Water District $300 to $400 an acre-foot to buy and treat water from state and federal agencies.
If the project is built, the new water would increase each agency's supplies by less than 10 percent. In short, it would be water that is costlier - but more reliable - than other sources.
"What is the value to us of a high-quality reliable supply? Are we willing to pay two or three times what we are paying now?
Until the answer is yes, desalination will always remain in our future," said Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute.
In many cases, Gleick said, conservation is cheaper. For less than $100 an acre-foot, he said, cities can save millions of gallons of water by expanding giveaway programs and rebates for low-flow shower heads, faucets and irrigation systems. They also can require that low-flush toilets be installed on homes being sold.
But some cities say they already have done all the conservation they can.
One city's plight
In Santa Cruz, water director Bill Kocher said the last time the city built a major water supply project was in 1961 - the Loch Lomond Reservoir near Ben Lomond. The town's population has doubled since. Because of conservation measures,
The next time a drought as severe as the 1976-77 drought occurs, the city will need to cut use by 50 percent, he said.
"Where on earth are we going to find a 50 percent reduction in water use?" Kocher said. "Businesses would close. It's untenable."
If the city builds a desalination plant, it would run only in dry years - about once every seven years - he said.
Worldwide, there are 12,310 desalination plants, double the number six years ago, with many in
Still, Gleick and other water experts say, the day is coming when desalination will make sense for
"It's drought-proof," he said. "It's under local control. It doesn't rely on water that rivers and lakes depend upon. It's just really expensive." #
http://www.mercurynews.com/drive/ci_6051022?nclick_check=1
Seawater desalination project 'urgent'
By Gig Conaughton, staff writer
Officials from Connecticut-based Poseidon Resources, Inc. also said Friday that they were submitting the fourth version of their permit application to the California Coastal Commission that afternoon, and remained confident they were on target to get a hearing with the commission in November that could let them start building next year.
Poseidon began petitioning the coastal commission for a permit nine months ago. The commission, an independent coastal watchdog created by the voters in 1972, is charged with protecting, conserving and restoring
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The company, working with the city of
Poseidon and commission officials have said it is not uncommon for the application process to take a long time and several attempts. But Poseidon officials said they hope they've answered all questions.
"We will resubmit today, and this submittal ... thoroughly address any issues we think remain open," Poseidon Vice President Peter MacLaggan said. "We've also added significant discussion about the deteriorating situation of the state's water supplies."
MacLaggan made his statements the day after state officials shook up water officials around
State water and fish and game officials said Thursday that they hope to be able to restart the pumps in seven to 10 days, and that if they did,
However,
The cover letter for Poseidon's latest application to the coastal commission also mentioned the water-supply questions.
Tom Luster, the coastal commission's desalination expert, said Friday that the commission was certainly aware of the mounting water-supply pressures, and would take that into consideration.
But Luster said the Carlsbad Poseidon project would still have to meet the standards of the coastal commission and the wide-ranging act that created it.
"Even with those things (drought, State Water Project shutdown) that doesn't mean we all have to take whatever projects are proposed," Luster said. "They still have to go through the review."
The commission, meanwhile, has suggested in the past that it was uncomfortable with the idea that private companies, such as Poseidon, control the water desalination plants would produce. They've also worried publicly about the population growth such facilities could create, and about the general environmental questions revolving around sucking in and releasing seawater back into the sea.
Poseidon and regional water officials considered the Encina power plant to be the perfect spot to build a seawater desalting plant in part because it was already sucking seawater into its site to cool its electricity-producing turbines, and then spitting it back out into the sea.
Attaching a plant that would force some of that "cooling water" through salt-extracting membranes to create drinking water, company and water officials reasoned, would add very little -- if any -- environmental harm because the system was already in place.
However, NRG, the company that owns the Encina plant, complicated matters last year by announcing that they planned to "eventually" build an air-cooled plant and abandon the seawater "once-through-cooling system."
Luster said because of that, the coastal commission wants to know much more about how much environmental harm Poseidon would create. In particular, Luster said, the commission has wanted to know more about how much sea life might be killed.
To that end, Luster said the commission has asked Poseidon for more information about "alternative plans" -- whether Poseidon could use wells to get its seawater, and whether the plant could be located inland.
MacLaggan said Poseidon had cited and conducted studies showing that they would need a couple of miles of coastline to get enough water from wells, and that the water quality from those wells was not as good as water taken in through the existing cooling system. He also said that the company was bewildered by repeated questions about whether the plant could be located "five miles inland."
"We think it's silly to think that you could locate a seawater desalination plant five miles inland and have it be economically viable," MacLaggan said.
Luster, meanwhile, said commission staff members were simply trying to be as thorough as possible in examining the project.
Moving slowly
MacLaggan said Friday that company and water officials hoped Poseidon's latest application would finally be considered complete by Luster and the coastal commission staff.
Poseidon sent its initial application in late August.
Once the commission staff rules the application complete, it would make a recommendation on the project and the commission's 12 board members would hear and vote. Luster said that once Poseidon's latest application was received, the commission's staff had to respond, ruling the application complete, or asking for more information, within 30 days.
However, there is another issue that could complicate the process. Poseidon is also still trying to get a permit from the California State Lands Commission, which rents to the Encina power plant the land that Poseidon would use to build the plant.
Luster said that the coastal commission cannot consider Poseidon's application complete and forward it to commission board members for a hearing until the state commission issues a permit.
Poseidon officials said months ago that they expected to get the state lands permit -- but it has taken time.
Paul Thayer, the lands commission's executive director, said that the commission had not yet reached an agreement with Poseidon on how much the lease should cost. Thayer said he did not expect Poseidon's permit request to be on the commission's June agenda, and that the earliest the agency might hear the request would be August or September.
MacLaggan said Friday that Poseidon still thinks that will give them plenty of time to get the state lands permit, complete their coastal commission application, get a permit and the OK to build their long-discussed project from the commission in November. #
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/06/04/news/top_stories/01_22_336_3_07.txt
Desalting plant again idle
By Joyce Lobeck, staff writer
The Yuma Desalting Plant is quiet once again. Its 90-day demonstration run to reduce salinity in water returned to the
It was the first time in 14 years the $245 million plant had operated - and its output has exceeded federal officials' expectations.
Jim Cherry, Bureau of Reclamation manager in
"We had anticipated a little less than 3,000-acre-feet (one acre-foot is 325,851 gallons) and we got a little over 4,000 sent back to the river," he said.
That means more than 1.3 billion gallons of water flowed to the river during the last three months.
Cherry said it would take at least 30 days to determine the cost of the test run because it will take a few weeks to clean up the pumps and motors and try to salvage the 2,000 membranes used to filter the water in the treatment process.
The test run of 10 percent of the plant's capacity was to demonstrate whether it could still function, to determine the cost of operation and to try new technology.
"The whole program has been a success," Cherry said. "After being called a white elephant in national media, it's nice to see the plant in action and that it can serve the purpose it was designed for."
He added the incorporation of new technology was also successful.
Officials are considering other options for the treated water such as marketing the potable water.
Turning off the pumps and shutting down the flow of water was a bittersweet moment for the local reclamation staff.
"It's tough to shut it down," Cherry said. "We squeezed every drop we could."
But on the other hand, Cherry said, the demonstration served its purpose.
"It gives us data and information so decisions can be made by the policymakers," he said. "We didn't have that before."
The plant was constructed in the 1980s and early 1990s to desalinate water as part of a treaty with
However, persistent drought has led many to advocate activating the plant to help meet water needs in the Southwest. #
http://www.yumasun.com/news/desalt%20plant_34399___article.html/Colorado%20River_drought.html
Trial Run of Desalting Plant Ends
KTAR 92.3 (
A desalting plant that has been on a 90-demonstration run is again shut down.
The $245 million Yuma Desalting Plant, mothballed shortly after it was completed about 15 years ago, was restarted for a test run amid concerns over a potential water shortage in the
``We had anticipated a little less than 3,000-acre-feet (an acre-foot is 325,851 gallons) and we got a little over 4,000 sent back to the river,'' said Jim Cherry, the federal Bureau of Reclamation manager in Yuma.
That means more than 1.3 billion gallons of water flowed to the river during the last three months.
It will take at least 30 days to determine the cost of the test run and clean up pumps and the 2,000 membranes used to filter the water.
The plant was run at only 10 percent of capacity to see if it could still function, determine the cost of operation and try new technology.
The plant was built in the 1980s and early 1990s to desalinate runoff from farm fields so it can be returned to the Colorado River so flows can meet obligations of a treaty with
http://ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=500819
WATER TRANSFER:
Bay Area's thirsty; Oakdale district may help
By Michael Mooney, staff writer
It’s a potential deal that could bring fundamental changes in the way water is moved and stored in the
For years,
But when it comes to tapping the Tuolumne,
The
That’s not the case with the Oakdale district, which transfers 41,000 acre-feet of “surplus water” a year to agencies outside its boundaries.
The district, which draws its water from the
Those contracts will expire in 2010.
So, it should come as no surprise that thirsty
While the two have talked about water for 10 years or so, those discussions appear to be heating up.
After 2010, the OID will have 41,000 acre-feet available.
“We’re looking for (water) reliability in dry years,” said Tony Winnicker, director of communications for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. “The benefit of this proposal is that there would be no net loss of water to the area.”
How it works
In a nutshell, here’s how it would work:
That water normally would flow into Don Pedro Reservoir through the
The San Francisco PUC would pay Oakdale to put a like amount of water into Modesto Reservoir, creating a surplus and ensuring that there would be no net water loss to the MID and its customers.
“The water OID puts into Modesto Reservoir would be a credit to MID, like a bank,” said Steve Knell, OID general manager. “The water we would put in the reservoir means MID wouldn’t have to take that amount from Don Pedro.”
The idea was broadly outlined in a May 16 letter Knell sent to Allen Short, MID general manager.
MID spokeswoman Maree Hawkins said as long as the plan would not result in a loss of water to the MID or its customers, the district doesn’t anticipate problems.
“We don’t see that MID would be harmed in this proposal,” Hawkins said, “since it’s only to use MID facilities as a highway for water.”
She added: “Past MID boards have encouraged staff to work cooperatively with other public agencies. In this spirit, staff will take the OID proposal to the board to seek guidance.”
Hawkins said MID staff is reviewing the letter in preparation for a June 12 report and briefing for MID board members.
A complicated plan
At this point, the OID proposal is only a concept.
But don’t be fooled by the seeming simplicity of the idea; it will be a complex and expensive undertaking.
When it comes to moving water around the state, nothing is cheap or easy.
The tentacles are many: irrigation districts, water districts, conservation districts, state and federal governments, environmentalists, fishermen, hunters, recreational boaters, farmers, developers -- all trying to shape and direct the flow of the state’s most precious commodity.
As far as the OID plan is concerned, the biggest potential player is the Turlock Irrigation District, which controls nearly 69 percent of the water flowing through the
But the TID apparently is content to sit on the sidelines, at least for the moment.
“It appears to us that this transaction doesn’t involve TID or its water rights,” said General Manager Larry Weis. “The concept sounds workable.”
He added that the TID would keep a close eye on the OID proposal as it unfolds.
Perhaps one of the biggest obstacles to the project could pit
In 1890, the
A broad-based coalition that includes a number of environmental groups is lobbying Congress for money to fund a study to restore the valley to its former glory.
Winnicker, of the San Francisco PUC, said the drive to restore Hetch Hetchy doesn’t figure into his agency’s thinking.
“This is about drought reliability,” he said, “not draining Hetch Hetchy. It’s no secret that we’re opposed to that idea. Without the reservoir, we would have even less water available to us.
‘Doesn’t factor into our thinking’
“We don’t operate on the assumption that Hetch Hetchy is going to be drained. It doesn’t factor into our thinking about water reliability and availability.”
How much
Knell, the OID director, said his agency would need to build a canal, pipeline, tunnel or some combination of the three to connect the district’s water system to Modesto Reservoir.
That potential project is separate, he said, from the $168 million worth of repairs, upgrades and modernizing that the OID water system will need over 20 years.
Knell said the OID, with an annual budget of about $12 million, would be hard-pressed to fund such improvements without the ability to market its surplus water. But the district’s three existing contracts won’t pay those future bills.
The two 10-year agreements with the Bureau of Reclamation expire in April 2010, Knell said, while the Stockton East pact expires in October 2010.
Those are the district’s water transfer contracts.
Under the contracts, the OID sends about 26,000 acre-feet of water a year to the Bureau of Reclamation. Stockton East receives about 15,000 acre-feet a year.
The bureau uses the water for a variety of purposes, including improving the salmon run on the
Stockton East treats the water it buys from the OID and sells it to
The agencies pay $65 per acre-foot of water, Knell said, which adds about $2.5 million a year to the OID coffers.
The bureau has told the OID it doesn’t plan to renew its contracts, leaving 26,000 acre-feet a year available to the highest bidder after 2010.
While water rate negotiations are months or years away, Knell said the OID will ask substantially more than the $65 per acre-foot it charges today.
At least $325 per acre foot would be needed to generate $168 million over 20 years.
Without the MID’s support, Knell said, the idea never will move from the drawing board.
“Obviously,” he said, “this plan would have to ensure that there is no net harm or cost to both MID and TID.”
He conceded much more research and study is needed to transform the concept into a workable plan.
“I have more questions than answers at this point,” Knell said. “We’re just trying to get to first base on this. This is just step one: getting to the table to talk.”
Only if the MID is agreeable would the OID launch a feasibility study.
Said Knell: “We’re waiting to see if the (MID) board has an interest in this. If not, we won’t go down this path.”
Some OID residents would prefer just that -- no more water transfers.
Among those opposed to water transfers are Loretta Ray and Roger Beymer, who each lost a bid last fall for seats on the OID board of directors.
Knell said outside-the-district water transfers have divided the board.
He noted, however, that the two incumbents (Tony Taro and Steven Webb) who favor water marketing -- a key component of the district’s water resources plan -- won re-election by comfortable margins.
And the board voted unanimously to send a letter to the MID, seeking the district’s support for the
Ray, a cattle rancher and A.L. Gilbert Co. employee, built her campaign around her opposition to the water resources plan and out-of-district transfers. So did Beymer, a former maintenance supervisor for Hershey Co.
“There are farmers within the OID ‘sphere of influence’ who need irrigation water and can’t get it,” Beymer said. “I think before they start transferring water, they ought to take care of our farmers first.”
In
Knell said the district is under no legal obligation to provide water to farmers and others living outside its boundaries.
“We have to look at our service area first,” he said. “We want to keep water as cheap as possible for our customers.”
Beymer believes fiscal mismanagement is behind the district’s desire to market water, though he didn’t offer specifics. In the past, he has charged the district with wasting money on consultants and studies and not living up to prior commitments.
“Many farmers,” Beymer said, “have been promised water from OID for over 20 years and are still waiting.”
Without the water transfers, Knell said, the OID would lose important revenue. That could lead to onerous water rate increases for customers, he said.
Cutting back on recommended upgrades and modernization, he said, would leave the OID facing a $94 million repair bill.
To cover that cost, he said, farmers could end up paying as much as $80 for an acre-foot of water. Today, farmers served by the OID pay, on average, about $4 an acre-foot.
‘Global warming is here’
Knell said the water exchange plan, besides providing important revenue for the OID, could benefit the district, as well as the MID and the TID, in other ways.
“We recognize global warming is here,” he said. “We’re just not sure what it will mean for us.”
By interconnecting the Stanislaus and
“Since building new storage (reservoirs) is unlikely,” Knell said, “we’re all going to have to do a better job managing our existing water storage.”
The TID’s Weis, however, said joining the two river basins also could open a Pandora’s box of complicated issues and, perhaps, a legal challenge to the
“With these dry years coming, there’s going to be a need to be more creative in the management of
“A looming concern for us is the growing thirst of the Bay Area. We’re going to have to be real careful.”
AT A GLANCE
* HISTORY: The Oakdale Irrigation District was organized on Nov. 1, 1909. Water was first delivered to its customers in 1913, when Goodwin Dam was completed. The OID and its sister district, the South San Joaquin Irrigation District, share the most senior water rights on the
* SIZE: The OID encompasses 73,234 acres and serves 3,200 agricultural water accounts and 700 domestic accounts, primarily on the east side of Oakdale.
* FACILITIES: With the SSJID, the OID operates
* BUDGET/EMPLOYEES: Operates on an annual budget of about $12 million with a staff of 70.
* GENERAL MANAGER: Steve Knell leads the staff and serves a five-member board of directors. #
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/13650972p-14244396c.html
KERN RIVER CONDITIONS:
Dry summer on Kern; Costs scuttle efforts to keep water flowing through city this summer
Bakersfield
By Stacy Shepard, staff writer
Rich O'Neil and Bill Cooper have spent most of the last 30 years trying to beautify the area around the Kern River in
The Kern River heads west through town after making its way down the Kern River Canyon starting at the headwaters from Mt. Whitney
The two founded the Kern River Parkway Foundation, a group that has planted trees and advocated for parks and trails to be built along the river's banks since the mid- 1980s.
The one thing they've never managed to get, however, is a steady flow of water in the river.
"It's a shame that every drop of water that comes down that river is spoken for, but I suppose that's the way it is," Cooper said. "With a little bit of water in that river, you go by
For the first time in several years,
But not this year. And not for lack of trying.
Over the years, city water officials have made several attempts to keep the river wet in summer months.
"We've bent over backward to keep programs going," said Florn Core, the city's water resources manager.
River water is top desire
Water doesn't flow naturally through the city because most of it gets diverted into a series of canals before reaching the city.
Some goes to irrigate farm fields and some is used to supply drinking water to city residents. In years when the Kern's flow is high -- like last year -- extra water makes it way farther down the river, reaching the city. >From there, water is delivered to other districts west of
Water left in the channel eventually sinks into the ground, recharging the aquifer from which water can be pumped in dry years.
Because of the complicated system of parceling water and the fluctuations in the amount of water available each year, the river's path through
"Seeing no water in a year like this doesn't surprise people in
But feelings have changed over the years, he said, from seeing the river as nothing more than a utilitarian means of moving water to a valuable community asset.
In community surveys done in recent years, he said, water in the river has been a top desire in the community, he said. As a result, the county and city have incorporated elements into their general plans to beautify the river and treat is a centerpiece of the city, Cooper said.
The city tried to make good on its commitment, he said.
Water in the past
From 1999 to 2005, the city entered into an agreement with the Kern County Water Agency in which the agency agreed to recharge some of its water in the river during the summer months rather than the winter. The arrangement was in effect until 2005, when the agency canceled the deal due to a planned expansion to begin supplying more urban drinking water to local water districts.
In 2000, the city and Kern County Water Agency obtained $23 million in bond money to build a recirculating river through the city using a series of groundwater wells. The idea was to pump water into the
The pumps were in place by 2002 but the city soon realized it couldn't afford the $1 million it would cost to dredge enough water to cover the riverbed from May to September.
"The fly in the ointment was there wasn't money to pay the electricity," Core said. "From there, it just kind of floundered."
Water in the future?
Kern County Water Agency General Manager Jim Beck said the underground pumps are still the best hope for a viable water source for the river in the future. The agency is willing to help defray some of the costs of the system, he said, and has submitted draft agreements to the city to revive the summertime pumping program.
But Core, of the city's water resources department, said the agency's offer would pay to move water from the canal to the river, not to pump it. That still leaves the city on the hook for most of the $1 million in electrical costs.
"That's the cheap part," Core said. "I'd pay for that if they'd pay for the pumping."
Core said a more feasible opportunity to wet the river might exist in the future. The city now contracts out some of its river water to irrigation districts. Those contracts end in 2012 and won't be renewed. That will potentially provide excess water to continue down the Kern River into
In the meantime, the Parkway Foundation hopes that as the city continues to grow and evolve, newer residents will push the idea that a visible river adds value to the community.
"We hope that changes over time as some of the old ideas get drained out by some of the new, forward thinking people that move to
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/155892.html
WATER CONSERVATION:
A lush, green lawn is going to cost you; Cities turning to tiered rates to curb water use this summer
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 6/3/07
By Paul Payne, staff writer
Leonard and Sarah Sjosten like to keep their lawn green, their pool full and their ornamental fountains bubbling.
And come summer -- when water use typically doubles -- the
With their consumption expected to climb into the third of four tiers by late summer, the Sjostens are looking at an increase over their spring water bill of $50 to about $80 bimonthly.
"When you have a pool and a lawn, it can get expensive," said Leonard Sjosten, who has lived in the picturesque two-story home near downtown since 1966. "After all, you want to keep your grass somewhat green."
Rising water rates and warm weather this summer are conspiring against lush suburban landscaping, forcing people to choose between dead greenery and shriveled pocket books.
Many cities, including
As spring moves into summer, bills across
In response, homeowners are trying to cut back. Sprinklers come on less frequently or at night. Lawns, which consume the most water, are being replaced by drought-tolerant displays of native plants and cactus.
Beverly Davies, an eastside
"I don't miss it at all," said Davies, a retired accountant and member of the Petaluma Garden Club. "Before we had birch trees, sunburst locust, junipers and a lawn. That was it. It was green, green, green. Now we have an array of color."
Other people are simply coughing up the cash to maintain what they have.
Karl Schottstaedt, who lives in
"I don't like it, but I'm not going to cut back," said Schottstaedt, a landscape contractor. "Plants are everything."
And not all drought-tolerant species are attractive, Schottstaedt said.
"I like cut flowers," Schottstaedt said. "I like things that are going to give you more color. And I'm willing to pay for it."
Irrigation starts sooner
Water conservation is key in
"We even had some irrigation going on in January," said
But rates were rising long before the dry winter brought on conservation calls.
Although the increases were adopted several months ago, the impact will begin to be felt this summer as people start irrigating lawns.
In January,
"It's very effective," said Dave Iribarne,
A
Summer use swells
Countywide, the average summer water use for a single-family home is 13,000 gallons a month, a nearly threefold increase from the average 5,000 gallons a month used in winter.
Of that difference of 8,000 gallons a month, about 5,000 gallons will go to lawns alone.
"In the residential realm of landscaping, turf is the highest water user," Iribarne said.
Summer irrigation will have different prices in different cities.
The cost depends on how cities structure their rates, whether there are base fees and whether the rates have tiers of prices that penalize homeowners the more water they use.
For example, a
3-tier system in SR
Santa Rosa has a fixed charge of $6.03 a month and a three-tier rate system, but the second tier doesn't kick in until a homeowner uses more than what would be expected during the summer.
The city sets a winter base for water usage, which averages 5,000 gallons for a single-family home.
After that 5,000 gallons, the cost of the next 8,000 gallons, which is what is expected to be used for landscaping, also is under the first tier.
In the winter, that would translate to a monthly bill of $22.13; in the summer, $47.89.
If the homeowner goes above that combined 13,000 gallons, the per-gallon rate goes up 25 percent for Tier 2 and an additional 50 percent for Tier 3.
But higher rates aren't the only water-saving solutions offered by cities. Many, like
In May,
Lawns no more?
The future of the suburban lawn, however, is in question.
Iribarne said
Since front lawns are mostly for show, he said, developers would have to explain any future designs that include them.
Twenty to 30 years from now, Iribarne said, front lawns could be a rarity.
"I think the way of the future is a greener-type sustainable landscaping," Iribarne said.
Meanwhile, Sjosten, whose 92-year-old home sports a wide front lawn, said water rates have been creeping up.
Last year, he said he paid $2.16 per 748-gallon unit and this year he's paying $2.31 per unit.
Sjosten typically holds to the first tier. But this spring he slipped into Tier 2, which has a rate of $2.61 per unit. He expects he could go into Tier 3, at $3 a unit, by September.
He's careful about his water use but with landscaping, a pool, two fountains and a hot tub, a basic existence might prove expensive, he said.
"I'm keeping an eye on it," Sjosten said. #
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070603/NEWS/706030334/1033/NEWS01
WATER METERING:
Editorial: Water fight becomes an unfortunate business
Desert Sun – 6/3/07
It may be the season for a good water fight, but the one between the city of
But at this point, taking the battle to court has become a necessary evil.
This situation has spun out of control, harming long-established and good working relationships between the two entities.
Palm Springs Fire Chief Blake Goetz says he is concerned about safety because the meter DWA is using in new multi-residential dwellings is not on a state list of authorized equipment that can be used with fire sprinkler systems. Sediment can clog the line that activates such systems in case of a fire.
DWA General Manager Dave Luker says the suit is frivolous and the systems are safe. There is nothing wrong with the meters being used and sprinklers should operate when needed. Besides, he says, it's not
The issue came to a head when DWA started using anti-theft equipment that monitors water use more closely. Such equipment, Goetz says, is unreliable and not approved by the American Water Works Association, an authority that sets standards, but doesn't have this particular issue included in any
DWA won't pull its meters and replace them with the meters Palm Springs Fire wants the agency to use. The result is that new residential development is in danger of stalling because the city is refusing to grant certificates of occupancy to developers where the DWA meters are being used.
We say it's unfortunate. Fred Bell, executive director of the Building Industry Association Desert Chapter says, "It's tragic."
"Once we have a determination, I don't care, I'll comply, but this is intolerable,"
If
This may have to be done soon because at least two projects are nearing completion and will need the city to sign off on a certificate of occupancy immediately. But
We'll all have to wait and see what the final decision will be.
Anyway it's sliced; it's still a big inconvenience and all-around unwelcome expense. But what if the city is right? If Goetz's interpretation of state fire protection code is correct and his professional opinion about sediment, water lines, back flow, meters and the like is right, don't we want to keep residents as safe as possible?
The answer is obvious. But the court ruling should be the last word in this and all involved should abide and move on because there will likely be a lot of repairs to make - not necessarily of water systems, but of relationships. #
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070603/OPINION01/706030307/1047/opinion
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