A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
September 12, 2007
2. Supply
URBAN WATER SUPPLY ISSUES:
Funds dry up for pricey homes; Fresno Co. balks at water loan to Brighton Crest area - Fresno Bee
WATER RECYCLING:
Mandatory wastewater use OK'd; SR City Council can require use of treated sewage instead of potable water when possible - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
WATER CONSERVATION:
Editorial: Watered down;
DESALINATION:
Editorial: Cambria hung out to dry on desalination; Opinion of The Tribune Coastal Commission’s decision to not allow test wells throws an unfortunate wrench into a well-planned answer to town’s water needs - San Luis Obispo
AG SUPPLY ISSUES:
Policymakers, farmers ponder smelt decision - California Farm Bureau Federation
URBAN WATER SUPPLY ISSUES:
Funds dry up for pricey homes; Fresno Co. balks at water loan to
By Brad Branan, staff writer
Residents of $1 million homes don't need taxpayers to provide financial backing for water and sewer service,
The county's Board of Supervisors on Tuesday tabled a request for a $180,000 loan to the service area for Brighton Crest, a golf-course community near
The loan was requested because the community's water and sewer service expects to run out of money Oct. 31, officials said. The money is needed to continue service.
"If they have $1 million homes, they have ways of coming up with the dollars," said Supervisor Phil Larson.
The community's water and sewer service is provided through a county service area, a legal arrangement in which the county runs private infrastructure in exchange for a fee.
Ray Ramirez, the county's special districts director, said he made the loan request.
Although the county met with Brighton Crest residents recently to discuss water conservation and rates, nothing was said about the financial crisis or loan, he said.
No one from the community attended Tuesday's meeting. Reached by phone later, John Rieden, president of the Brighton Crest Homeowners Association, said the county has never mentioned the need for a loan or a rate increase.
County officials met with the association recently to talk about conservation due to a water shortage, he said.
The county will meet with the association soon to discuss the financial problems, Ramirez said.
The county has previously loaned money to Brighton Crest's water and sewer service during similar shortages, said Alan Weaver, county planning and public works director. The "dry periods" happen before taxes are collected in December and April. The money would be repaid with interest.
But with the county facing a tight budget this year, supervisors decided residents need to provide more of their own financial backing, Weaver said. Options include a rate increase, which would have to be approved by Brighton Crest homeowners.
With the county forced to cut millions from its budget this year, supervisors said they're eager to eliminate any county financial responsibility for Brighton Crest and other service areas.
Weaver said Brighton Crest residents also need to restrict water use.
Some residents are using four times as much water as they're allotted, he said.
Supervisor Bob Waterston said he wants to put such use to a halt.
"They've been leading a luxurious life way too long," he said. "It's coming to an end." #
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/136355.html
WATER RECYCLING:
Mandatory wastewater use OK'd; SR City Council can require use of treated sewage instead of potable water when possible
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 9/12/07
By Mike McCoy, staff writer
An ordinance approved Tuesday by the Santa Rosa City Council will allow the city to require future commercial, industrial and residential development projects to use wastewater in place of potable water when possible.
Councilman Lee Pierce, joining his colleagues in unanimously approving the ordinance, conceded implementation could be a problem "until the greater population has an attitude adjustment about the resource."
The city's tertiary-treated wastewater already is used to irrigate 6,400 acres of farm and urban lands and to regenerate The Geysers steam fields to produce electricity. It is clean enough, according to state water quality standards, to use in a swimming pool. But it's not approved for drinking.
The measure, encouraged by state water conservation policies, grants the city the ability to require that future retail, industrial and residential developments substitute wastewater for potable water when possible.
That would include such uses as car washes, large landscaped areas within condominium projects, industrial processing plants, and even commercial laundries with mostly industrial uses such as cleaning uniforms, linens, tablecloths and diapers.
Existing business and property owners also would have the option of tapping into the recycled water supply.
City officials estimate they might be able to save up to a billion gallons of potable water, which could be used to serve as-yet-undeveloped land on the city's south and west ends.
Jennifer Burke, a city water resources planner, said those areas are targeted because they would be more cost-effective to serve because of their proximity to the city's regional treatment plant off
Eventually the city may make recycled water available in the Bennett and Rincon valley areas, too.
Despite the conservation goal, Pierce questioned whether a business could be exempted from the required use if customers refuse to patronize it because of its use of wastewater.
"Will they have any option if they believe it will have an adverse impact?" he asked.
Virginia Porter, a consultant who helped draft the ordinance, said it provides discretion about how and when it is applied.
It is scheduled to go into effect Oct. 18, but Porter said it's "probably two years out" from implementation because of work the city has to do to develop and clarify specific policies.
Burke said mandatory-use policies already are in effect in
Recently appointed Councilwoman Carol Dean, who was a member of the Board of Public Utilities when the ordinance was being prepared, said it is a welcome addition to the growing effort to protect the county's potable water supplies.
"Water is becoming a very big issue, and recycled water will become a very precious commodity," she said.
Unlike potable water, which is susceptible to droughts, city officials said wastewater is both a guaranteed daily source and a slightly cheaper one. The city is pricing its wastewater at 5 percent below what it charges for potable water.
Because of those factors, Councilman John Sawyer dismissed the idea
"I see people begging for it in years to come," he said. #
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20070912/NEWS/709120415/1033/NEWS01
WATER CONSERVATION:
Editorial: Watered down;
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 9/12/07
The Petaluma City Council buckled under pressure Monday night. Call it water pressure.
Actually it was more the kind of pressure that comes from seeing dozens of real estate agents gather in protest of a plan that would have assured houses are water efficient before they're sold.
This proposal, one aspect of a 20-point water conservation plan largely supported by the council, was reasonable and forward-thinking. It would have required outdoor and indoor inspections for leaky pipes and water-guzzling toilets at the point of sale. All leaks would have to be fixed and all low-efficiency toilets would have to be replaced before the close of escrow. Real estate professionals, who are understandably concerned about the state of their industry, opposed the plan, saying it was unfair and would hurt business. But the City Council erred in letting those concerns prevail.
First, this program provides a clear benefit to buyers, so it's not likely to discourage sales in that respect. Second, the cost of the inspections would have been paid for by the city. Yes, the sellers would have to pay for any repairs, but what's unfair about that? Inspections and repairs are a part of the real estate business. Owners don't have a special right to sell houses with leaky pipes. Third, the city provides rebates and other programs for those who need to replace low-efficiency toilets and other fixtures. Finally, the point-of-sale requirement would have saved an estimated 64 million gallons of water a year, according to city engineers. This would have sent an important message to the rest of the county about the need for conservation.
Although this program would have been a first in
The City Council has said it will look into some voluntary program, which sounds good. But it still means that some people will be buying houses with leaky pipes and will be stuck paying the added water costs until, if they're lucky, they discover the problem and pay for repairs. According to the council, that's only fair. #
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20070912/NEWS/709120328/1043/OPINION01
DESALINATION:
Editorial: Cambria hung out to dry on desalination; Opinion of The Tribune Coastal Commission’s decision to not allow test wells throws an unfortunate wrench into a well-planned answer to town’s water needs
San Luis Obispo
The Coastal Commission stubbed its toe Thursday, adopting a “when in doubt, throw it out” attitude toward a well-planned approach to a desalination plant in
On a 6-6 vote, the commission went against its own staff’s recommendation to allow temporary use of state park beach land for tests needed to accurately put together a plan and environmental assessment for a much-needed water source for
It’s a public health and safety issue. There’s barely enough water now to meet residential and commercial needs.When a drought hits, rationing will further restrict water available for all uses — including firefighting.
The commission’s cited concerns are off base. Commissioners said that people might think approval of the tests means it favors a plant and that tests might affect the snowy plover.
The commission should focus on the issue at hand, not how it might be misinterpreted.
Restrictions on where and when testing could be done put a protective envelope around the plover habitat.
Another concern — that use of the beach for the tests would impair the public’s enjoyment of a protected resource — is real and substantive. But, as that harm would be temporary, and the benefits of the information gained would be permanent, a reasonable long-term view favors allowing the tests.
The Cambria Community Services District declared a water emergency in 2001 and stopped issuing new water hookups. That moratorium won’t be lifted until it has a new water source. Extensive, expensive studies commissioned by the district have determined that the most reliable, cost-effective — and, yes, environmentally sensitive—solution is desalination.
The Cambria Community Services District anticipated the argument that more water means more growth means more damage to an environment already near its limit. The services district has taken steps to put a figurative fence around how much growth is possible, limiting the potential burden on area resources. It has put in place a voter-approved limit on how large the district can be. It is working to limit the number of lots that can ever be developed.
And, it is trying to put together the most environmentally sensitive plan for getting seawater into a desalination plant and disposing of the brine left over after freshwater is sent to users.
To do that, it needs to know the lay of the land — especially, under the beach from where it hopes to get its seawater. By denying the test wells, the Coastal Commission is putting a blindfold on the district, then asking it to walk an environmental tightrope.
It’s not fair, it’s not wise, and it should be reconsidered by the commission. #
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/editorial/story/140134.html
AG SUPPLY ISSUES:
Policymakers, farmers ponder smelt decision
By Kate Campbell, Assistant Editor
Fallout continues from the Aug. 31 federal court decision aimed at protecting delta smelt as farmers and politicians try to translate what the ruling means for agriculture and the state. The judge's order changes the way water is exported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and could end up reducing water supplies for farms and homes by 2 million acre-feet a year.
For growers like Salinas-based Tanimura and Antle who provide vegetables for the fresh market nearly year- round, the delta smelt decision has had a wrenching effect on planting intentions for the coming season.
Gary Tanimura, whose company grows vegetable crops on the west side of Fresno County and relies on Westlands Water District, said, "We're looking at the worst case scenario--a minimal amount of water next year. Our Huron ranches provide spring and fall lettuce deals. We're saving water for that acreage.
"The biggest change will be cutting back on crops and acreage that we've had in the past," Tanimura said. "We won't be growing processing tomatoes and peppers, for example, garlic too. We'll be fallowing some ground because we won't have enough water to farm all of the ranch.
"We don't know how much ground we'll fallow. We're looking at well water and how much we can count on there. We're still working on the numbers and studying all possibilities."
But the west side of
"If we don't get good rainfall this winter, another dry year might affect water allocations in that district and impact growers who supply us there," Tanimura said. "If the water doesn't get into storage in the San Luis Reservoir, which right now is at the lowest point I've ever seen, they won't have the water supplies they rely on."
In its assessment of the impact of the delta smelt decision, Tim Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies, said, "We are now forced to rely on stored water supplies that are our insurance against the next drought. To put this into perspective--the San Luis Reservoir is at 20 percent capacity right now.
"If we must cut deliveries through the delta, then we will need more surface storage facilities to meet demand."
And, scientists are unsure if the changes to pumping operations will prevent the delta smelt from becoming extinct, but farmers are clear that a drastic cut in water deliveries will have a devastating effect on crop production, potentially putting thousands of people out of work and some farms out of business.
While experts continue to analyze Federal District Judge Oliver Wanger's ruling, officials are scrambling to figure out how much water supplies will be reduced and what to do about it.
"Right now everyone is trying to figure out what the cutback in water exports from the delta will mean," said Chris Scheuring, California Farm Bureau Federation Natural Resources Division managing counsel.
In the past about 6 million acre-feet of water a year has been transferred out of the delta and sent to meet the drinking water needs of about 25 million Californians and irrigate hundreds of thousands of acres of crops.
"Now up to one-third of the water previously moved through the delta will be lost," Scheuring said. "It's possible that the system-wide cuts may shake out to mean only minor cuts for farmers in some areas. For farmers in other areas, however, the interruptions in supply may be absolutely devastating.
"As we're sorting things out, it looks like
Given the potential extent of the water cutbacks, Scheuring said he hopes Wanger will further tailor his order to address the potential economic devastation cutbacks could have in small valley farm towns.
For the 2007 crop year, which was termed a dry to very dry year, the federal Central Valley Project delivered only 55 percent of farmers' contracted agricultural water. An additional cut in water deliveries of 25 to 30 percent could put many farmers in dire circumstances.
The delta smelt decision is not the only one that could affect water supplies in
"Judge Wanger will decide in that case if the biological opinion required under the Endangered Species Act is adequate. That could bring a different set of water management and operations issues into play to protect the salmon, including the cold water pool behind Shasta Dam and temperature compliance points on the
Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger administration officials called a press conference in
California Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman told the media that the federal district court's decision is "proof that the delta is indeed broken. It also points out the need to safeguard our water future. That's more important than it ever has been."
He called on the Legislature to pass Senate Bill 59 and put it before voters, saying the plan will work to protect people and property and address long overdue investments in conservation efforts to maintain the long-term sustainability of the delta environment.
That will be done, Chrisman said, by creating more water storage and finding better ways to move water through the delta more efficiently to improve the health of the eco-system.
"Clearly the judge has focused on a specific stressor in the delta, the export facilities (pumps) in the south delta," said Department of Water Resources Director Lester Snow. "But, there are so many other stressors in the delta system that we still have to address. Whether it's seismic risk, invasive species, water quality issues, urban encroachment, loss of habitat, all of those issues still exist no matter what the judge has said. We need to move forward with a comprehensive fix."
There are still details of the decision the state needs to clarify and Snow said attorneys from both sides in the case are working to agree on the meaning of the judge's order, which he described as "kind of splitting the difference between what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service submitted and what the state Department of Water Resources submitted."
He said how much the reduction in water deliveries will be to individual contractors depends on precisely where the fish are in any given year.
"This introduces a great deal of uncertainty into the water supply," he said. "And, it does so while addressing only one stressor--the delta pumps. It does not guarantee that we are fixing the bay-delta system."
Speaking on behalf of Westlands Water District, Bill Kahrl of KP Public Affairs in Sacramento said, "We're planning a thorough and systematic approach to the question of impacts and that means a survey of the individual farm managers from south of the delta to the Tehachapis. We should have some definitive answers pretty soon."
At the end of the state's water pipeline,
The Metropolitan Water Districts, which gets 60 percent of its water supply from the delta, has already put farmers on notice.
"The majority of our water is imported through Met," said Eric Larson, San Diego County Farm Bureau executive director.
"That's why farmers here are paying such close attention. We rely on water from the Colorado River, which is in its eighth dry year and
"We've got at least three things working against us," he said. "We've already done everything we can to incorporate conservation measures. But this cutback is real. We're just trying to make sure our growers know about and take steps to protect their businesses and their crop. This is going to happen."
On Sept. 27, San Diego County Farm Bureau is inviting every farmer in the county to attend its Ag Water Outlook conference from 2 to 4 p.m. at the
In the coastal growing regions, such as the Oxnard Plain and the
"There will be less work at our ports for those who load the produce onto ships to go overseas," Schwabauer. "I understand that this reduction in our water supply is about protection of a threatened species, but I don't think we yet know all the ways this cutback will ripple through the state, our economy and the environment."
Schwabauer said his operation is 100 percent dependent on well water, but with all farmers looking at reduced supplies and switching to well water instead, water tables will be dropping and costs for lifting the water will increase dramatically.
"We've been in an expansion mode on our ranches," Schwabauer said. "We've been putting in new groves, but we're going to have to look at scaling back to try to maintain what we have. We've got some decisions to make. Even if you're in a good position, this is going to be very challenging for farmers." #
http://www.cfbf.com/agalert/AgAlertStory.cfm?ID=896&ck=061412E4A03C02F9902576EC55EBBE77
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