[Water_news] 2. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: SUPPLY - 11/2/07

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment 

 

November 2, 2007

 

2. Supply

 

 

Editorial:

The Valley's power rates

It is hotter there, so it's fair to give area residents a break on power. The same doesn't apply to water, though. -

Los Angeles Times

 

Water official criticizes service-shutdown order

Mandate was tied to lifting evacuation -

San Diego Union Tribune

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Editorial:

The Valley's power rates

It is hotter there, so it's fair to give area residents a break on power. The same doesn't apply to water, though.

Los Angeles Times – 11/2/07

 

Residents of the San Fernando Valley are getting a sweet deal from the Department of Water and Power, but it's got nothing to do with the new zone system being proposed for electricity billing. It's fine that City Council members who represent other parts of Los Angeles want to study the zone plan separately from the rest of the DWP's rate hike proposal, but they will find -- if they are honest with themselves -- that there is nothing outrageous about it.

Rates citywide would be divided into three tiers, with the price per kilowatt-hour going up after the ratepayer uses a threshold amount (350 kWh per month), and up again after a second threshold (1,050 kWh). That makes sense -- the capacity to generate and transmit electricity is limited, so power hogs should pay more for their wasteful ways.

But in the Valley, in the hot summer months only, those thresholds are set higher (500 kWh and 1,500 kWh), allowing residents north of Mulholland to suck up more energy at the lower prices than their counterparts to the south.

Valley residents have a practiced defense: "It's hotter here." And they're right -- the California Public Utilities Commission puts them in a different zone because summer temperatures there average about 10 degrees higher than elsewhere in Los Angeles. The proposed zones will allow those residents to run their electricity-quaffing refrigerators for about the same amount it would cost in, say, Pico-Union. True, Valley residents chose to live where they do, knowing that the cost of keeping a livable indoor environment would be higher. Those costs -- for air conditioning, say -- will still be higher, even given the higher threshold that accounts for basic livability. The electricity zone system is fair.

So Valley residents might want to argue that the same it's-hotter-here rationale applies to water consumption too. Nice try.

Valley residents say that their hotter zone and their (often) larger lots entitle them to more water to keep their grass green. To which the collective response from the rest of Los Angeles ought to be, "Rip out your lawn." Daily life in 21st century Los Angeles may require a refrigerator. It does not require lush, thirsty landscaping, nor should it require residents south of Mulholland to underwrite wasteful water use on the Valley side of the Hollywood Hills.

The rub here is that a special break for water usage is already in place -- and has been for 15 years. It has nothing to do with fairness or livability but with special privilege offered in exchange for political support from Valley voters. That's wrong, especially in an era of diminishing water supply. The council should get onboard with electricity zones but then should revisit the unfair and waste-inducing rate scheme for water.#

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-dwp2nov02,0,7126197.story?coll=la-opinion-leftrail

 

Water official criticizes service-shutdown order

Mandate was tied to lifting evacuation

San Diego Union Tribune – 11/2/07

By Craig Gustafson, staff writer

 

RAMONA – The general manager of the Ramona Municipal Water District said yesterday he was upset that county and fire officials insisted the district shut off nearly 10,000 water meters before allowing evacuated Ramonans to return home last week.

 

Tom Brammell, who began his second stint as general manager in 2001, said he didn't believe that was necessary because water had been flowing into Ramona for the previous two days. He said he resisted help to shut off the meters because he didn't want to cut off water service to residents who didn't evacuate.

 

Brammell said he had no control over lifting the evacuation notice imposed on Ramona despite the assertions by county officials that the district's water problems delayed repopulation of the town.

 

Walt Ekard, the county's chief administrative officer, said yesterday that Brammell never mentioned his concerns about cutting off service to residents, nor did he offer an explanation for refusing help.

 

Brammell's account is the latest development in what is likely the most confusing chapter of the region's response to the wildfires.

County and fire officials have said the Ramona water district's reluctance to accept help from other agencies significantly delayed the lifting of the town's evacuation notice. The district's board has launched an investigation into the response.

 

The Witch Creek fire, which began Oct. 21, destroyed power lines near a pumping station in Poway that sends water to Ramona. Backup generators arrived Oct. 23, and water began flowing again. Brammell said he knew it would take several days to get the system back to full capacity.

 

On Oct. 25, fire experts decided Ramona faced no imminent fire threat, but were concerned there wasn't enough water to fight fires. County and water officials believed that by shutting off the meters and allowing the system to repressurize, it could be returned to full service much faster. Brammell initially refused help, but relented that day.

 

Brammell said help the district received likely sped up the process by only a few hours. The water supply hit full capacity Saturday when all the meters were switched back on. #

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20071102-9999-1mi2ram.html