A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
October 18, 2007
2. Supply
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
Water service not a given; Firm says drought may force limits-
Town hall forum on water draws big crowd;
Message to cities: Conserving water is a necessity now;
Guest Column: City's water woes have a history -
EMERGENCY WATER PURCHASING:
Napa buying emergency water option from state; Lake Hennessey at just 55 percent of capacity - Napa Valley Register
DESALINATION PLANT:
Cal Am to run new desal plant; Water district board OKs 15-year lease agreement -
Cal Am will operate new Sand City desalination plant - Associated Press
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
Water service not a given; Firm says drought may force limits
By Elsie Kleeman, staff writer
ALTADENA - If drought conditions persist,
"We can't ask our existing customers to cut back drastically on their water use and then hand out new water meters," Robert Gomperz, Lincoln Avenue Water Co. president, told the Altadena Town Council on Tuesday night.
New developments would range from condominiums to house additions - anything that requires a water meter, Gomperz said.
The decision to restrict new customers would likely be made in January or February, he said, after water agencies decide how to divvy up resources and the winter rainy season begins.
"By January or February, we know that if it's still dry, we'll never be able to catch up," Gomperz said. "We hope that we'll get a wet November to get us off to a good start."
Throughout
This summer, the Metropolitan Water District, the Southland's powerful alliance of 26 water districts and cities, launched a $6.3 million campaign to advocate conservation.
"What makes this particular drought extremely unique is that three elements - or more - have come together to make this a perfect storm," Gomperz said.
Local water sources are drying up, the Colorado River is in the midst of an eight-year drought, and
"We're entering our water year with fear and trepidation because we're not sure what we're going to have," Gomperz said.
Should the winter skies remain dry, the company is also considering options such as instituting water restrictions for its customers, or penalizing those who use more than a certain amount.
Lincoln Avenue Water Co. is one of three small water companies in
There are no other water providers in that area that new developments could turn to if the company decides to deny them service.
"The California Water Code authorizes us to take these kind of measures when there is a water supply emergency," Gomperz said.
Pasadena Water and Power is now considering the need for similar restrictions, said Shan Kwan, director of water.
"We're already maxed out with our purchases with the Metropolitan Water Board," Kwan said. "Any new demand is at the highest rate."
If PWP decides the drought is severe enough to merit limiting service, he said, the Pasadena City Council would be responsible for deciding the severity of restrictions.
The Las Flores Water Co. in central
In west
Among the possible new developments is a 49-unit condominium complex named The Highlands, planned for a blighted stretch of
Town hall forum on water draws big crowd;
FALLBROOK -- Local and regional officials addressed the impending water crisis before about 150 concerned residents and disgruntled agricultural growers from Fallbrook, Rainbow and Bonsall during a town hall meeting Wednesday night.
Covering a range of issues from state politics to county growth, the meeting came down to a crucial question near the end of the forum: Can water authorities stop issuing new hookups while customers are being asked -- and in some cases forced -- to conserve?
The question, which has been posed in similar meetings across
Fallbrook Public Utility District General Manager Keith Lewinger said it can't be done any time soon.
"A water district's board can do anything it wants to with three votes, but whether or not they get sued is another question," Lewinger said. "I predict that, if a water district board refused service, but had the supply (to serve the customer), they would be sued."
The speeches and answers given by the experts during the meeting seemed to indicate it will take a long-term, coordinated effort and a sharp decrease in water supplies before the pace of development can be slowed.
The water crisis foreseen by regional water officials stems from several factors, including an eighth year of drought on the
A larger issue than the drought, however, is an August federal court decision ruling that the use of pumps which supply much of Metropolitan's water must be scaled back next year to protect the "delta smelt," a species of fish in
Hosted by the Fallbrook Public Utility District, Wednesday's meeting also featured speakers from the Rainbow Municipal Water District, the Fallbrook Planning Group, the county water authority and the San Diego Association of Governments.
During her presentation, SANDAG's Susan Baldwin said the association predicts a population surge of 1 million people between now and 2030 in
Some of those in the crowd suggested that calls for conservation will land on deaf ears until those who are being called on to conserve see fewer houses being built.
"Most people I've talked to ... have said they would not conserve water as long as their savings are being given to developers," said Gerald Walson, an avocado grower and member of the Rainbow water district's board.
Others who posed questions to the panel said they were growers who will be forced to cut back their water usage by 30 percent beginning Jan. 1. They complained that water and land-use agencies are perpetuating a double standard by allowing more homes to be built while one of the county's most important industries is threatened.
They also warned of the trickle-down effects when packing houses, distributors and pickers suffer the loss of one-third of the area's agricultural production.
The officials, in turn, pointed out that the 30 percent cutbacks are being imposed by the Metropolitan Water District, with whom the growers signed contracts to receive water discounts in exchange for submitting to cutbacks should they become necessary.
"My heart goes out to those of you who are looking at chopping down a third of your trees," Lewinger said. "It is going to be devastating to a lot of our farmers in the area, but it has to be done."
Planning group chairman Jim Russell, who is a farmer, suggested that residents should direct their anger toward politicians in
"I like the environment as well as anyone else, but they passed laws saying ... critters are more important than people," Russell said, adding that the spirit of such laws implies, "We don't care what you do to the people, just take care of those critters.
"We elected the people who passed those laws," he said.
Lewinger vowed to post a sample letter that residents could send to their state representatives on the district's Web site, www.fpud.com, within a week.
It was apparent from the large crowd inside the board room Wednesday night that the water crisis will be an important and controversial issue for those in the greater Fallbrook area.
Two other meetings are planned to discuss the mandatory cutbacks being imposed on agricultural growers.
The first is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday at the
The second will be hosted by the Fallbrook Public Utility District at the
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/10/18/news/inland/3_01_1010_17_07.txt
Message to cities: Conserving water is a necessity now;
By Kristen S. Agostoni, staff writer
For weeks now, television and radio spots have pleaded with
And as the region's water supply remains vulnerable, that drumbeat is only expected to grow louder this fall.
Within the next few months, the agency that supplies water to cities across the
West Basin Municipal Water District next week will ask its board members to adopt the outreach program - "It's Time to Get Serious" - and visit each of the cities it serves.
The goal is to get city councils to create new programs and update their ordinances - laws that might not have been given much attention since the region's last drought.
Doing so could push more businesses and public agencies to use recycled water for irrigation, or bring more developers to plant drought-resistant landscaping, said Fernando Paludi, the district's manager of planning and water resources.
"We view our main audience as local cities," he said. "They probably haven't looked at their ordinances since '89 to '92, the last drought."
The program "gets us in there," he said. "It raises awareness."
Earlier this week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors heeded the call for conservation and agreed to craft an ordinance requiring drought-tolerant and native landscaping in all new developments in unincorporated areas.
Cities and water agencies across Southern California are wringing their hands over record-low rainfall levels and a federal court decision that limits the amount of water
Already, officials with Metropolitan Water District, which imports water from the delta and the Colorado River, have said they'll cut water to
"If we have another (dry) winter like we had last year, it's quite possible Met will continue to depend on reserves and they'll probably have to buy water from farther south of the delta," Paludi said.
And the costs could trickle down to customers. MWD officials earlier this month indicated wholesale rates could rise as much as 10 percent within the next two years, although Paludi said it's too soon to say whether West Basin's rates would rise that much.
At least for the short term, officials are focused on getting out the word and encouraging voluntary rationing.
Although the board has yet to formally adopt the plan, West Basin Assistant General Manager Paul Shoenberger made a stop Tuesday night at the Redondo Beach City Council chambers, where he answered questions and talked about conservation strategies.
The
Board members will likely split up within the next couple months and make similar visits within their elected districts.
"We're hoping for continued vigilance on the part of the public," said board President Don Dear. "It takes a lot to get the public's attention, but I think this is a good time to reinforce the message to our cities to save water."
In some cases, cities might learn from neighbors.
Redondo Beach Councilman Chris Cagle, who serves on a water policy task force for the Southern California Association of Governments, said he believes the beach city has already made strides by using recycled water for irrigating landscaping and installing low-flow toilets in restrooms, among other initiatives.
But Cagle said he was surprised to learn that nearby
"That's one idea," Cagle said. "There's probably a lot of things like that the city could do." #
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/10627082.html?showAll=y&c=y
Guest Column: City's water woes have a history
By Lionel Van Deerlin, former representative of a
We've had dry spells before. And how. But we haven't always dealt with them gracefully, or even intelligently.
Take the year 1916, for instance. Although it's mainly remembered for a record flood, hardly a drop of rain had fallen in what should have been our wet season. Fear of continuing drought found
The “rainmaker” it tried may have been a charlatan. Charles Hatfield, a young sewing machine salesman, claimed he had concocted a secret formula of chemicals that would induce measurable amounts of moisture from any and all clouds. There remains a question whether Hatfield had a binding contract with the city when he erected a series of tall towers at
The “Hatfield flood” that followed may have proved the only contract dispute ever resulting from over-performance by the party of the first part. Sharp-eyed municipal lawyers sensed that to pay the rainmaker, contract or no contract, could subject the city to endless lawsuits. In effect, it would be acknowledging responsibility for damage ensuing from some 16 inches of precipitation recorded during the month of January that year. Most litigation was filed on behalf of farmers whose plantings were lost, though the damage had included many road and rail washouts as well. No trains or auto traffic could move into or out of
Hatfield sued the city for restitution in a case that lasted until 1938, when the 1916 flood was judicially decreed to have resulted from an act of God, not of Charles Hatfield nor of the four-member council majority that had given him the go-ahead.
What's done is done. Our city dads of that earlier day may have acted from sheer desperation in doing business with a fast-talking pseudo scientist. And it's likely that modern courts might not absolve local government of its debt to Hatfield quite so casually as happened seven decades ago. Otherwise, nothing has changed.
Perhaps two things that need most to be said are:
We may be headed for some water-saving practices – mandatory, not optional – more disagreeable than anything most of us ever have experienced.
The decision-making that lies ahead for
We'd do well to prepare ourselves. Given a continued dry spell, there will be talk of limited days for irrigating lawns and gardens, to say nothing of golf courses. Curbs on car washing or on such personal hygiene practices as tooth-brushing and, yes, even the frequency of toilet flushing could become the public's business.
If it's any comfort, we are not alone in all this. For the first time in more than a century, Southeast states report a drought level that climatologists say puts numerous cities in crisis. The 4 million people who populate Greater Atlanta are warned that their main water source,
The mayor of
A nearly equal threat besets several northern Plains states and the
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071018/news_lz1e18vandeer.html
EMERGENCY WATER PURCHASING:
By Kevin Courtney, staff writer
By spending $60,000 now,
Customers can expect to irrigate their yards and operate their households normally in 2008 no matter how much rain and snow falls this winter, Brun said.
By possibly buying the additional 4,000 acre feet in the spring, the city prepares itself for a potential third straight dry winter in 2008/09, Brun said.
Last winter was a dry one, with
To save water at
The city’s allocation from the state in 2008 could be as low as 4,000 acre feet if this winter isn’t a wet one, creating the need for a backup strategy, he said.
The courts and the state are working on a comprehensive plan to protect the smelt. This will mean reduced pumping to
In uncertain times like these, it makes sense to buy a water option for $60,000 that would need to be exercised in April, Brun said. It would cost $900,000 for an additional 4,000 acre feet, he said.
The money could come from the Water Department’s $4 million drought fund. It would not raise water rates, Brun said.
The fall’s early rains are encouraging, Brun said. “They make me feel more confident, but they are insignificant really,” he said. State weather forecasters are not yet projecting whether this winter will be wet or dry, he said.
The city is spending $48 million to expand the Ed Barwick Jamieson Canyon Water Treatment Facility so it can handle more state water in coming years.
The goal is to rely more on state water and save
Over the past decade, Hennessey had not fallen below 70 percent of capacity until this year, when it reached 55 percent this month, Brun said.
The modern low was hit in 1990, during a drought cycle, when Hennessey fell to 33 percent of capacity, he said.
There are programs in place to reduce water demand in new construction and reward buyers of high efficiency washers. The city conducts seminars on how to make yard irrigation more efficient.
The biggest thing that customer can do right now is turn off their yard sprinklers, Brun said. “Many folks still have their sprinklers set like it’s the middle of July,” he said.
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2007/10/18/news/local/doc471678d4cae64539074460.txt
DESALINATION PLANT:
Cal Am to run new desal plant; Water district board OKs 15-year lease agreement
By Andre Briscoe, staff writer
In a move to slow pumping water from the Carmel River, California American Water will lease and operate
By a 5-2 vote this week, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District board approved the 15-year lease agreement that will allow Cal Am to take control of the plant, which is expected to produce 300 acre-feet per year.
Under the agreement, Cal Am will operate the plant and purchase the water, which is drawn from shallow, brackish water in the
Under the agreement, Cal Am will pay the city $765,000 a year in base rent, said Henrietta Stern, project manager for the district. When the lease expires, water rights will revert back to the city.
The city uses about 94 acre-feet a year. Having access to the remaining 206 acre-feet means Cal Am can pump that much less from the Carmel River and the Seaside groundwater basins, Stern said.
"Cal Am will be able to use the remaining water as surplus. It will take maybe 20 years for the city" to develop it, she said.
The lease helps the city, which doesn't have the personnel to operate the desal plant. The plant is expected to be completed by mid-February 2009.
The cost of the project is estimated at $10 million and the city has already spent about $2 million, said Sand City Administrator Kelly Morgan. He said city officials will approve a bond in the near future to raise up to $2.5 million more for the project.
In May, the city used more than $1 million from last year's budget to help pay for city projects, including the long-planned desalination plant, for the next three years. The money was transferred by amending the general fund budget, cutting it from $9 million to about $7.9 million.
Last year, the city received $2.9 million in Proposition 50 bond money to help complete the plant.
The plant was approved in May 2005 by the state Coastal Commission as a city-owned operation and is viewed as an alternative to the city's use of Cal Am's sources from the
The plant would provide enough water for the city's current businesses, nearly 300 residents, and all future projects and redevelopment plans, said city staff members.
Construction of Cal Am's 6,500-square-foot pilot desalination plant in Moss Landing has been under way since the summer. Cal Am is required by the State Water Resources Control Board to supply more than 10,000 acre-feet of replacement water to help curb pumping water from the
http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_7211040?nclick_check=1
Cal Am will operate new
Associated Press – 10/18/07
The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District board voted 5-2 this week to approve a 15-year lease agreement giving control of the desalting plant to Cal Am.
The plant will draw from brackish water in the
http://www.sacbee.com/114/story/439070.html
####
No comments:
Post a Comment