A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
August 9, 2007
1. Top Items
Water woes in desert; State acts to ease problem - San Bernardino Sun
San Bernardino County in water crisis, officials say; A crackdown on unlicensed trucks left far-flung communities without water. The state has put several trucks into delivery service - Los Angeles Times
Water woes in desert; State acts to ease problem
By Andrew Silva, staff writer
LUCERNE VALLEY - Wendy Clouser spent another day Wednesday delivering bottled water to thirsty residents of this High Desert community after a state sting shut down most of the local water haulers who didn't have permits.
"I went to the pawn shop. I've been out of work since last week," said the 50-year-old disabled veteran who's been driving a water truck for five years. "We're family in this community."
was one of the haulers put out of business last week after state health officials got complaints about unlicensed water haulers who have served scores of homes for
The community has been in turmoil ever since as residential water tanks began going dry.
The situation was starting to look better Wednesday after county and state officials scrambled to address the problem.
A local state of emergency was declared and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services agreed to send water tankers to the area to help.
Three of the unlicensed haulers submitted applications to the state and were authorized to resume deliveries.
Most
Clouser needs a permit from the state to get her water truck back in business. But that costs $472, money she just doesn't have.
She's been using her pickup truck ever since to carry donated bottled water to her customers, including the elderly and disabled, many of whom are housebound.
"We use paper plates and you don't flush the toilet until it's so disgusting you can't stand it," said Pamela Alvarado, who suffers from several medical problems and has been out of water for several days.
Many wondered why the state didn't issue warnings before the crackdown.
"Our issue is the safety of the drinking water," said Janet Huston, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Health, who flew down from
Rhonda Moore, 49, owner of #1
But she got all her paperwork in and the county said it would pay the $2,500 for the required tests on her well.
Wednesday afternoon she was loading up and ready to head out to her customers.
"Everybody is just tickled pink," she said.
Ron Caruso, owner of Earthworks Trucks and Equipment, was already fully licensed but operates out of Hesperia and generally charges $100 for a 3,400-gallon load.
He was allowed to get water from a much closer well and dropped his price to $80. He was given a list of those who needed water and was busy making deliveries.
"I'm trying to do as many people as I can," he said Wednesday.
The county's automated reverse 9-1-1 system was used to call residents of
The Economic Development Agency has been tapped to see if it can make small loans or grants to the haulers who can't afford the permit fees or fines to get their trucks back on the road, said 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, who represents the
That's too slow for more than 100 angry residents who attended a raucous two-hour meeting Tuesday evening out on the grassy picnic area at the
Huston and California Highway Patrol officers were there to try to answer questions.
"We need the water!" residents shouted.
"I don't want to die," one little girl said into the microphone.
The problem started last week when the state and CHP sought out unlicensed water trucks after receiving complaints.
Two trucks were impounded and others restricted from selling water because they didn't have the proper permits.
"I got pulled over on Highway 247 by the CHP," said Richard Tillis, 61, who's been delivering water for more than 20 years.
"They wanted to know if I had a license to sell potable water, and I said, `No, I don't sell potable water.' The CHP wrote me up and impounded my truck."
He estimated the impound fees and other costs have already topped $700 and go up every day the truck is in the impound lot. He can't afford to get the truck out.
Julie Wedel, 50, has been out of water since Saturday.
"That's taking baths in the pool," she said. "It is not fun. We depend on that swamp cooler. You'd think we were in
And a well several of the unpermitted haulers relied on was also tagged because its permits had lapsed.
Max McNeeley, 43, said his well has never made anyone sick and he allows the haulers to fill up for free.
"I have people that come up here from down the hill and just love the water," he said.
But after hip replacement surgery last year, he said he can't afford the $7,000 to get the proper permits and tests to reopen the well.
"This has just blindsided me," he said. "They shut down a perfectly good well." #
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_6578903
San Bernardino County in water crisis, officials say; A crackdown on unlicensed trucks left far-flung communities without water. The state has put several trucks into delivery service
By Sara Lin, staff writer
A spokesman for the governor's office said that at least three replacement trucks had been ordered to begin providing water immediately and continuously.
The crisis began last week after state health officials and the California Highway Patrol impounded the trucks, saying that they were delivering non-potable water. Though some customers said they didn't mind using the water for showers, evaporative coolers and other non-consumption purposes, most had been purchasing it to drink.
The crackdown caught haulers by surprise and threw residents into a panic as water deliveries across eight desert communities ground to a halt. As a result, many customers shut off their coolers and stopped flushing toilets to save water.
"Whether they're licensed or not is irrelevant at this point," said Carl Kerns, publisher of the Mojave Desert News. "People need the water. The state didn't allow for the safety of the individuals of this community. What's more important: whether the truck is licensed or whether an 80-year-old woman can turn on her swamp cooler to keep cool?"
The California Department of Public Health stopped three water trucks during last week's sting, citing each for being unlicensed and unsanitary. Two of the trucks were impounded by CHP officers because their operators lacked the proper drivers' licenses and permits. The third was ordered out of service for mechanical reasons.
State health officials have said they will expedite applications from unlicensed haulers and allow them to resume deliveries as long as they are making an effort to come into compliance. But that message has been slow to circulate.
San Bernardino County Fire Department trucks on Wednesday began delivering non-potable water for residents' livestock. The county Department of Aging and Adult Services also started contacting elderly and disabled adults, delivering bottled water to at least five households.
"We're working to identify those who need assistance and encouraging water haulers to provide service to the area," said Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, whose district includes
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