A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
August 1, 2007
2. Supply
2-inch fish threatens area's water supply -
Activists call PUC plan an unwise water grab; Two environmental groups say Tuolumne River water would go for suburban landscaping - Oakland Tribune
Efforts to save water paying off; County reports 16.6% reduction in diversions from Russian River, urges continued conservation - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
DESALINATION:
Panel to consider desal permit; Approval recommended for Cal Am's Moss Landing project - Monterey Herald
URBAN WATER SUPPLY ISSUES:
Dry wells could soon be flowing; Prunedale: Supervisors OK funds for pipeline project touted as lifesaver -
Walton water pricey - Marysville Appeal Democrat
2-inch fish threatens area's water supply
By Alison Hewitt, staff writer
Delta smelt - endangered, finger-size fish that smell like cucumbers and live in the Sacramento Delta - could make the current drought even harder for
Even about 400-odd miles away, the delta can have a major impact on
Invasive species and pesticides in the delta mean the delta smelt population has been on the decline. When their yearly migration took them past the pumps that suck delta water down to
"What happened this year will most certainly happen again," Sims said. "Nobody up here thinks this is a one-time occurrence.
"We've got a delta that's broken that needs to be fixed," she continued. "We've got to figure out a better way to move clean, safe water through the delta and protect the species that live there."
The prospect of another shutoff is worrying to local water officials.
At the Metropolitan Water District, a coalition of cities and water agencies spanning six
But this isn't just a dry year for
Finally, the smelt could cut MWD's allocation of delta water by as much as 50 percent, according to some of the solutions being proposed, Arakawa said. That's a lot of strain to put on MWD's storage, he said.
"If we're facing multiple years of the smelt cutback, that storage is only going to last so long," he said. "If we have another dry year, that will make it even worse."
MWD is already making do with 60 percent of the water that it requested from the delta for the year, Arakawa said. At that level, the district's usual efforts to put "replenishment water" into the ground to buoy the water table have been curtailed.
There's no replenishment water available from the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, either, said General Manager Tim Jochem. Another pump shutdown in the delta would force the district to rely even more on storage, he said.
"We'll draw down our
The cutback on "spreading water," as replenishment water is also known, is drying up local spreading grounds, like those north of
The
The basin water levels have dropped 60 feet in the past six months, said Steve Patton,
"This is the lowest I've seen it, and I've been here 15 years," Patton said. "The water's just not available." #
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_6513695
Activists call PUC plan an unwise water grab; Two environmental groups say
By Douglas Fischer, staff writer
A San Francisco Public Utilities Commission proposal to draw more water from Yosemite's famed
The report, by the Pacific Institute and the Tuolumne River Trust, claims the SFPUC's estimates for water use in 2030 overinflate demand and fail to pursue promising conservation efforts. The result, the groups say, is a missed opportunity to decrease the region's reliance on the river and a failure to prepare for the thinner Sierra snowpack expected with global warming.
"The policy choices are just out of whack," said Heather Dempsey, the Trust's Bay Area program manager and a report co-author.
"But we've met with intense resistance from the (commission) and their customers."
The utility is simply in the midst of assessing demand scenarios, noted SFPUC spokesman Tony Winnicker. No decisions have been made, and conservation remains a paramount priority, he added.
The groups' report, he said, will get the commission's full attention as it decides early next year what demand scenarios to adopt.
"We agree that as a region we can and should do more about water conservation, water recycling, and looking beyond our Sierra supplies," Winnicker said. "There are no missed opportunities. We have seized those that we can and are looking for more. We share the same priorities."
It also is under some pressure to find alternative sources to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which plugs the
But rather than slack that thirst, the SFPUC expects to whet it by 11 percent over the next 23 years. The extra water will all go to the utility's suburban customers in
Today the utility draws 218 million gallons a day from the
Hayward officials counter that the city's per capita water use sits well below other cities within the region, and that the city's growth patterns — with an emphasis on manufacturing — differ from those of cities on the Peninsula and South Bay.
As for the golf courses, two of the city's three courses are watered with either well or recycled water. The third is a new course in the hills, out of reach of such supplies but designed to use a minimal amount of potable water.
But any dispute over future
The first is that the SFPUC's projection is simply a conservative baseline estimate, he said. The second is that the seismic retrofit must not be delayed by any squabble over water needs some decades hence.
"We don't need all this water tomorrow," he said. "Let's get the improvements made, and if we can forestall the date we have to go to the
"We have a lot of common interests here." #
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_6515165
Efforts to save water paying off; County reports 16.6% reduction in diversions from Russian River, urges continued conservation
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 8/1/07
By Clark Mason, staff writer
Drop by drop, gallon by gallon, the conservation efforts of consumers in
As of Tuesday, the Sonoma County Water Agency said it had achieved a 16.6 percent reduction in the amount of water siphoned from the river, exceeding the state-mandated 15 percent level.
The agency delivers water to 600,000 residential and business customers in
"We continue to save water. Those are good numbers," said Water Agency spokesman Brad Sherwood.
He cautioned that the order to reduce
"We haven't had an enormously bad heat wave, which drives up demand," he said. "Weather plays an enormous factor."
But Sherwood said the message has gotten out and people are genuinely concerned about saving water.
They also don't want to be singled out as water wasters and reported by their neighbors.
"The water cops have people concerned. They don't want to be tagged or embarrassed," Sherwood said.
Officials credit most of the reduction in
The Water Agency is under state order to reduce diversions from the
The mandate is intended to save enough water for the fall salmon run. By reducing diversions from the
Santa Rosa, Windsor, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Petaluma, Sonoma and two Marin water districts -- all of which obtain water from the Water Agency -- have called for conservation measures by residents and businesses.
A relatively dry past winter is one reason Lake Mendocino is lower, but it's also because diversions of water from the Eel River have been cut back to preserve fish habitat in that watershed.
Officials call the situation a "regulatory drought." There's plenty of water in
The figures released Tuesday show the Water Agency pumped 5,713 acre-feet of water from the
Cities have also turned to other sources for water.
Glen Wright,
Wright estimated that roughly two-thirds of the reduction in
But Wright, like other water officials, said conservation efforts have caught on with the general public.
He said the city's water conservation unit has beefed up its staff to handle more than 20 calls per hour that come in to the hot line at 543-3985.
Residents and businesses can call to ask for a water audit to improve their own water habits or report instances of excess or improper outdoor water use. #
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20070801/NEWS/708010329/1033/NEWS01
DESALINATION:
Panel to consider desal permit; Approval recommended for Cal Am's Moss Landing project
By Kevin Howe, staff writer
The use of Moss Landing Power Plant's cooling water intake system to feed an experimental desalination plant will be reviewed today by the California Energy Commission in
The commission will consider a permit allowing power plant owner Dynegy to alter the plant's cooling water intake system to feed an experimental desalination plant to be operated for a year by California American Water to see if turning seawater to fresh water to solve the area's water shortage is feasible.
The power plant's intake pipes would be modified to divert cooling water to the desalination plant, where it will be treated by reverse osmosis to filter salt and other minerals.
The resulting fresh water, along with the concentrated salty brine left over from the process, would be fed back into the power plant's outfall to
The pilot plant has been approved by
The Energy Commission staff has recommended approval of the permit, she said, and "their findings are in line with the state Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Coastal Commission and
Madeleine Clark, director of the Elkhorn Slough Coalition, disagrees.
In addition to Cal Am's pilot plant, she said, Pajaro-Sunny Mesa Community Services District is contemplating installation of a similar plant in Moss Landing, and a third pilot desalination plant there may be in the works.
"This decision should not be made in a vacuum," she said. "The cumulative effects of all three pilot plants need to be considered."
The Elkhorn Slough Coalition has voiced concern about the destruction of marine organisms sucked into the intake pipes and the increased in temperature, mineral and chemical content of the water that is discharged back into the bay.
"We ask that the commission deny Dynegy's petition and put an end to these continual delays by Cal Am to provide viable water supply to the
The 6,500-square-foot pilot desalination plant will cost approximately $3 million and divert up to 288,000 gallons of seawater per day from the power plant's once-through cooling water intake system, which draws 180 million to 1 billion gallons a day.
The sea water will go through two parallel pretreatment processes and reverse osmosis systems, and the desalinated water — as well as the brine discharge produced by the pilot plant — will be mixed back into the power plant's outfall before being discharged into Monterey Bay. None of the desalinated water produced will be used for human consumption.
On the way through the plant, the water will be treated with or come in contact with various treatment chemicals, including chlorine, acids, coagulants, polymers and cleaning agents applied at various times to the plant machinery.
Discharge of such chemicals is expected to amount to less than 100 gallons a day, along with about 100 pounds of residual solids per day. The heaviest concentrations will go into a sewer system, not the outfall.
The facility will be used to test for water quality as required by the state Department of Health Services before that agency can issue a permit for the full-scale facility proposed by the company.
The pilot desalination plant is a precursor to development of a $200 million regional seawater desalination plant and distribution system by Cal Am at or near Moss Landing that would produce 11,730 acre-feet of fresh, potable water a year.
The water company's Coastal Water Project is its attempt to comply with a 1995 order by the state Water Resources Control Board to stop overpumping in the
That year the water board advised Cal Am that it was taking 14,106 acre-feet per year from the
A court has ordered that producers of water from the Seaside basin aquifer — Sand City, Seaside, Cal Am and others — reduce their pumping from the aquifer's coastal subareas by 2,219 acre-feet and their pumping from the Laguna Seca subarea by 381 acre-feet, for a total reduction for the entire Seaside basin of 2,600 acre-feet by October 2027.
In 2004, the company proposed its Coastal Water Project, a desalination and aquifer and storage and recovery system to meet the state requirement.
The commission meeting begins at 10 a.m. in Hearing Room A,
For information, see www.energy.ca.gov/webcast/. #
http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_6514174?nclick_check=1
URBAN WATER SUPPLY ISSUES:
Dry wells could soon be flowing; Prunedale: Supervisors OK funds for pipeline project touted as lifesaver
By Jim Johnson, staff writer
A new pipeline system designed to deliver water to Prunedale residents whose wells have run dry, begun to peter out or have been contaminated got a big boost from county supervisors Tuesday.
The board agreed to dole out nearly $150,000 for project development and engineering costs for the proposal, which is being touted as a lifesaver for many in the so-called granite ridge neighborhood, some of whom have been out of water for years.
County officials have selected consultant RMC Water and Environment to conduct the study, which is expected to take about six months.
County officials and an ad hoc committee of community members have been meeting for months to develop the project, which would consist of a "backbone" water supply system including a main transmission pipeline, storage tanks and new water wells that could be connected to existing independent water systems.
If the consultant finds the proposal is feasible, the project would be paid for through a ballot measure voted on by potential customers in the area, which is bordered by Highway 101,
Lou Solton, a resident of the area who has served on the ad-hoc committee and is the county treasurer-tax collector, called the project a "well thought-out plan" that addresses a crucial "health and safety issue" in Prunedale.
Solton noted that about 1,000 homes in the area have already experienced water quality and quantity problems, as well as the "disturbing" trend of an increasing number of water trucks in the area.
Supervisor Lou Calcagno, who spearheaded the effort, noted that many residents have seen their property values plunge as their wells have stopped producing water. With this project, Calcagno said, "their property values will go way up."
Calcagno said concerns expressed by some Prunedale residents that the new water system could be growth-inducing are off base. He said the system will likely be restricted to existing lots of record and not for any subdivisions.
No one showed up at Tuesday's hearing to oppose the project, a fact that Supervisor Dave Potter noted and attributed to community outreach.
Calcagno said he expects some opposition as the project progresses.
County Water Resources Agency director Curtis Weeks said there will be community meetings to inform area residents about the project once the consultant begins the development work, though none have been scheduled.
Sig Matt, a 40-year Prunedale resident who has also served on the ad-hoc committee, said the lack of water should be a concern for the entire north county area.
"As a community, we should all come together to find a solution for this problem," Matt said.
The pipeline will only serve the granite ridge area for now, though it could be extended to other areas in Prunedale that are experiencing water shortages, according to county officials. #
http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_6514177
Walton water pricey
Marysville Appeal Democrat – 8/1/07
By John Dickey, staff writer
A glass of water that meets federal standards won’t be cheap for the 3,000 or so Walton-area homes using groundwater from a treatment plant.
If residents choose instead to make repairs to the ground water system, that will be even more costly, adding up to $7,460 per home.
Residents without a water meter can add another $500 to the bill which could be paid in cash, as part of a monthly water bill, or as an assessment that shows up on property tax bills, if a district was formed.
Those figures work out to an annual payment of anywhere from $410 to $715 over 20 years, depending on whether the city gets a low-interest loan from the state and on which type of water residents decide on.
Costs were released at a community meeting at the Yuba City Moose Lodge, which was provided at no charge to the city. More than 100 residents packed the hall.
City officials say the need to fix the water system is prompted by new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency. Standards for the amount of arsenic allowed in drinking water were lowered from 50 parts per billion to 10 ppb.
“The water quality didn’t change – the regulations changed,” Utilities Director Bill Lewis said in an interview.
Residents are getting groundwater that averages 14.6 ppb, according to a city report.
Excessive nitrates are also a problem for one groundwater well that supplied extra water during summer. The state Department of Health Services ordered the city to take the well out of service.
“By losing that well, we no longer have enough water to meet their needs,” said Lewis.
Some residents may find the bill harder to swallow than the arsenic.
Dorian Kittrell, 44, of
But the older neighborhood is filled with aging residents who may struggle with the bill, worried Kittrell.
“I just feel sorry for all these elderly people, I really do,” said Kittrell.
The city is looking for a decision in September on whether to fix the former Hillcrest Water Co. groundwater plant or hook up to city surface water. The payment method has to be figured out by December. #
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/water_51956___article.html/city_residents.html
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