A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
November 21, 2007
2. Supply
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AG CUTS:
Farmers, water officials discuss cutbacks for western Riverside County - Riverside Press Enterprise
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES:
Report: Downtown will have its water; Development plan had drawn worries -
RATE INCREASES:
SCV to Pay More for Water - Santa Clarita Signal
WATER CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGY:
Murrieta City Council OKs stricter rules on water - Riverside Press Enterprise
DESALINATION:
Costs soar for Santa Cruz pilot desalting test plant - Associated Press
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AG CUTS:
Farmers, water officials discuss cutbacks for western Riverside County
Riverside Press
By Jennifer Bowles, staff writer
Most of the 2,000 farmers in western Riverside County affected by a regionwide, 30 percent cutback in agricultural water starting Jan. 1 will find out by the first week of December just how much they'll have to ease off on watering crops and groves.
That's when letters from the Inland region's hardest-hit water agency, Temecula-based Rancho California Water District, will detail the annual, monthly and daily amounts farmers should be using, said Timothy Barr, the district's resource planner. He spoke to some 100 farmers and water district officials gathered for an informational meeting Tuesday at
The district is avoiding an across-the-board, 30-percent cut to its 1,703 farmers by instituting industry standards for how much water per acre should be used on each crop and taking into account local climate conditions, Barr said.
Under the allocation system, peaches would get the most water per acre, followed by avocadoes and grapefruits. Wine grapes and nursery crops would get the least.
"Our goal is to sustain agriculture through this shortage," Barr said.
Dave Barnes, who grows apples, figs and strawberries in the Temecula Wine Country, said he wondered how his allocation would be figured for his mix of crops. Barr suggested he and other farmers contact the district to discuss the amount if he is concerned after receiving their letters.
Barnes said it was worth the trip to
"The guy who is out there walking his fields is more on top of it," he said about water use.
The 30 percent cut to farmers in six
Edward Means, an environmental consultant who created the 1994 water farming program while working at Metropolitan, told the crowd that the cuts ramp up to 40 percent, but only after residential cuts are imposed. He said water managers are doing everything to prevent that.
Mike Proffitt, director of production for El Modeno Gardens Inc., which owns a container nursery in the
Brian Brady, general manager of Rancho California Water District, said it would be nearly impossible for his agency to start a system like that, at least for now, because the district already will have to keep tabs on every farmer's water use. Water districts face stiff penalties from Metropolitan if they don't reach their reduced target amounts. #
http://www.pe.com/localnews/rivcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_H_farmers21.32c1769.html
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES:
Report: Downtown will have its water; Development plan had drawn worries
By Linda Lou, staff writer
Worries that Vallecitos Water District won't have enough water for the condos, shops and offices planned for
Some people had been concerned that Vallecitos wouldn't have enough water for all the homes and businesses the city wants built along San Marcos Creek. The area is filled with aging strip malls and empty fields, and the city wants developers to create a vibrant downtown there.
There will be enough water to make it happen, according to a report recently released by the water district. The projected supply is adequate, and water district officials say they expect to eventually get more water from a proposed desalination plant in
The water district's Engineering/Equipment Committee approved the report Monday and its board of directors is expected to vote on the report next month.
The $1 billion private development would take about 20 years to complete and transform the 217-acre area south of
City Manager Paul Malone said that although the proposed development will be denser, condominiums and apartments don't use as much water as a typical house. Most residences will have one or two bedrooms, he said, and mixed-use housing has urban landscaping, such as window plants.
“We have an opportunity to make this project a model on a number of fronts and water conservation is one,” Malone said.
Vallecitos serves more than 85,000 customers in 45 square miles, including
The water district will be able to cover the projected needs over a 20-year planning period, according to a water assessment report prepared by Kennedy/Jenks Consultants for Vallecitos. The creekside development's water demand is estimated to exceed the one projected for the area in the district's 2002 master plan by 42.4 million gallons a year, said Bill Rucker, Vallecitos' general manager. He said reports from the district's suppliers – the San Diego County Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District – show they have enough water for the development in normal and dry year forecasts.
A plan detailing how to handle the increased water demand of the downtown development will be produced, Rucker said. The analysis would include storage tanks, aqueduct connections, pipelines and pumps, he said.
In a few years, Vallecitos' partnership with Poseidon Resources' proposed ocean water desalination plant in
Last week, the California Coastal Commission voted to give Poseidon a permit to build the plant if it meets more than 20 conditions that address environmental damage. Poseidon must submit a plan for final approval.
The plant could deliver water in 2010, Rucker said.
“The big deal is that it's a drought-proof supply that's locally controlled,” he said.
The City Council approved plans in July to develop 2,300 condos and apartments, shops, restaurants and offices in two-to six-story buildings on 82 acres between Discovery and Grand. Retail shops would occupy up to 1.3 million square feet and offices about 600,000 square feet.
The remaining acreage would be for parks, open space and public improvements, such as streets, bridges and flood-control measures.
The city expects to submit permit applications to the necessary government agencies within a month, he said. But it could take a few years for them to be approved. #
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071121/news_1mi21smwate.html
RATE INCREASES:
SCV to Pay More for Water
Santa Clarita Signal – 11/21/07
By Jim Holt, staff writer
Every shower taken and every tap turned is expected to cost Santa Clarita ratepayers more money this year and even more money next year.
A three-year forecast outlining the rising cost of water to consumers is one of the first items addressed in a copy of the 2006-07 financial report prepared by independent auditors for the Castaic Lake Water Agency.
The report was tabled Tuesday night at the agency's meeting of the Financial and Administrative Committee.
The four water retailers serving the Santa Clarita Valley were hit with a 15 percent increase in the water they purchased from the agency last year.
They include: The agency's own Santa Clarita Water Division, the Valencia Water Company, Newhall County Water Agency and
The agency bills each of the four companies for the water they purchase.
Growth at the agency means growing costs passed on to the retailers and a growing cost passed on, ultimately, to consumers.
Auditors with the Charles Z. Fedak & Company, who compiled the financial report, explained the impact of this growth as:
"Expenses have increased dramatically over recent year(s) and it is difficult to estimate the ultimate impact on operating costs."
The financial goal set by the agency's board of directors is to cover operating expenses with operating revenues.
The agency collected more than $95 million in revenue during the 2006-07 fiscal year - $20 million more than last year, according to the same report.
Over the next three years, the companies that supply Santa Clarita residents with water are expected to pay $30 more for an acre-foot of water in 2008 and an additional $35 in 2009 for the same unit of water. Right now they pay the Castaic water agency $210 for each acre-foot of water.
An acre-foot of water is 43,560 cubic feet of water - a surface area of 43,560 square feet, one foot deep.
Those increased costs to water retailers are expected to be passed on to the consumer, Valerie L. Pryor, the agency's administrative services manager, explained Tuesday.
In order to meet the demands of consumers last year, the four water retailers had to purchase almost 44,000 acre-feet of water from the agency or enough to fill close to a million backyard swimming pools if each of those pools measured 28 feet by 14 feet and were five feet deep.
In other terms, the water purchased last year from the Castaic water agency would fill more than 191 million bathtubs.
In March, Santa Clarita Water - a division of the Castaic water agency - adopted a new rate structure for water consumers which essentially required customers who use more water to pay a proportionately higher rate.
Homeowners who paid $15.70 a month in March can expect to pay $17.01 for the same water meter reading in January and then pay $17.23 a year after that.
Three other charges - a commodity charge and two surcharges - included in the same water bill will also see increases.
A commodity, or usage, charge that cost consumers about 60 cents a month in March will cost 68 cents for the same fee in January and, in January 2009, will cost 70 cents.
A water surcharge, as described by the auditors who compiled the water agency's financial report, covers the cost of water purchased by the water retailers. Consumers who paid 31 cents for this surcharge in March can expect to pay four more cents by January. And, by January 2009, the same surcharge will cost consumers 41 cents a month.
The other surcharge passed along to consumers pays for the energy it takes to produce the water. This means 18 cents paid by consumers in March will cost an extra cent by January. #
http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=51821&format=html
WATER CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGY:
Riverside Press
By Rocky Salmon, staff writer
MURRIETA - Any new development in town will have to landscape with the most up-to-date water conservation technology: more reclaimed water, drip lines and satellite controlled sprinkler systems.
The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved stricter water conservation laws. The ordinance is meant to meet a state law that sets stricter water conservation requirements by 2010 and mirrors a law that the county is working on.
"This is an opportunity for the industry and the city to get together and start working together so when 2010 comes along all of us are on the same page," said Bob Kast, city parks maintenance supervisor.
Water district and building officials applauded the city for pushing for water conservation.
"This is real cutting-edge stuff here and this is a good thing," said Brenda Dennstedt, Western Municipal Water District director.
She suggested that the city include custom homes in the ordinance because they have some of the most extravagant lawns.
The city's parks department prides itself on using the latest technology and trying to save water. Seven years ago, workers started removing sprinklers in some parks and replacing them with drip lines. New parks were created to handle reclaimed water and run mostly off drip systems.
Park officials said water usage plummeted with the drip lines and they hooked up computers to all sprinkler systems so they can find a leaky pipe or a busted sprinkler head. In the past, crews would have to find those or residents would have had to call the parks department.
The city is working to rehab older parks to make them more water efficient. Officials plan to pull out grass in certain areas and replace water-wasting trees with more drought-tolerant plants.
The ordinance affects tract housing, apartment projects and commercial development. It will take effect if the council approves it during a second reading at an upcoming meeting.
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_swater21.33e698e.html
DESALINATION:
Costs soar for
Associated Press – 11/21/07
The City Council approved a $624,000 increase in funding, bringing the total to $4 million, because of higher construction and labor costs for the 2,400-square-foot pilot plant.
Cost increases are largely due to conditions that the California Coastal Commission and the
City water director Bill Kocher says he expects more cost increases, saying, "These things tend to cost more than you think going in."
The test plant will pump nearly 72,000 gallons of fresh water each day. #
http://www.sacbee.com/114/story/508379.html
Associated Press – 11/20/07
UKIAH, Calif.—Local officials are concerned about low water levels at Lake Mendocino that may prompt severe restrictions if they don't see rain soon.
The man-made reservoir, a primary source of water for local water districts from
The lake's level on Tuesday was 712.3 feet above sea level. The record low or 688.7 feet was set in 1977, after two years of the worst drought of the 20th century.
Don Butow, chairman of the Redwood Valley Water District and a local grape grower, says the area needs some heavy rain within the next six weeks. If that doesn't happen, he says, the district plans to impose a 75 percent cutback in available water for domestic consumption. #
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