A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
May 13, 2008
2. Supply –
East Bay
Contra Costa Times
San Francisco Chronicle
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East Bay
Contra Costa Times – 5/12/08
By Mike Taugher , staff writer
The
The 1.3 million customers in the East Bay Municipal Utility District will probably be prohibited from hosing off sidewalks, washing cars with a hose that doesn't have a shutoff nozzle or watering lawns two days in a row, among other measures.
The district's board of directors will also consider hiring a temporary "water savings patrol" and taking other steps meant to reduce water use by 15 percent. That includes possible rate hikes for all customers and surcharges for those who fail to cut their water use.
Water rationing has not been imposed by the water district since the early 1990s. But two dry years and a call for voluntary water conservation that fell short last year have drawn down the district's reservoirs to a point where it is faced with shortages.
"Our policy says we will declare a drought emergency and impose rationing," said board member Katy Foulkes. "The question is how we do it."
Next year could be even worse if it is dry. But the water district is planning for a new drought supply pipeline, the Freeport Regional Water Project, to be operating in early 2009.
The district provides water to the west sides of Contra Costa and
Lamorinda into portions of
The plan could be modified before a vote. It will be presented to the board today and calls for:
A goal of 15 percent reduction in water use from businesses and residents.
Prohibitions on lawn watering on consecutive days, using fountains that do not recycle water and other potentially wasteful practices.
Hiring a "water savings patrol" to monitor water use and increase public relations and customer outreach. In all, the district's staff is proposing to hire 16 additional positions on a temporary basis to promote, enforce, manage and support the rationing program.
Raising water rates by 10 percent and using most of its $43 million contingency fund to make up for the decline in revenues that occur when the district delivers less water.
Levying surcharges on customers who do not get at least halfway to the conservation goal for their customer class.
For residents of single family homes, for example, the conservation target is 19 percent. If the resident conserves less than 10 percent — based on average use in the past three years — he or she would be hit with a surcharge for water used above the target.
For customers who meet the conservation targets, their bills would go down despite the rate increase.
Customers in single family residences who do not cut their water use would see their bills increase 5 percent to 10 percent due to the rate increase, plus another roughly 3 percent increase due to the drought surcharge, according to EBMUD figures.
The board meeting begins at 1:15 at the district's offices,
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_9238250
San Francisco Chronicle – 5/13/08
By Kelly Zito, staff writer
(05-12) 19:44 PDT -- Contra Costa and Alameda county residents would be forced to immediately slash their use of water by nearly 20 percent - and some large-scale users by 30 percent - under the first water-rationing proposal by the East Bay district in nearly two decades.
The board of the East Bay Municipal Utility District is expected today to declare a water-shortage emergency and approve a drought management program that would cut overall use among its 1.3 million customer base by 15 percent and shore up a water supply in dire condition after two consecutive dry years and the driest spring on record.
Water managers opted to take a drastic step after a voluntary program last year seeking 15 percent conservation fell short of goals.
The district, which serves customers from Berkeley to Danville and from Crockett to Castro Valley, expects its reservoirs to contain about 415,000 acre-feet of water - about two-thirds of normal - by Oct. 1. One acre-foot equals roughly 326,000 gallons and can support a family of four for one year.
"We could have an even drier year next year, and we could end up with even half that or less. So, we have to stretch every last drop," said East Bay Municipal Utility District spokesman Charles Hardy. "You can't ask anymore or encourage. You've got to take a more direct stance to protect that water supply."
The proposal requires water users to cut the number of gallons they use from 5 to 30 percent, depending on the type of user. For instance, a family of four would be required to use 19 percent less water; a golf course 30 percent; a refinery 5 percent. In addition, the proposal would ban the use of water to clean off sidewalks and patios; irrigating on consecutive days; and washing cars with hoses lacking shutoff nozzles.
Along with restrictions on use, the board is expected to discuss proposals for incentives and enforcement measures, which include a temporary 10 percent hike in water rates across the board, fines for those whose use exceeds benchmarks set by the district and, in cases of severe violations, reducing water flows or disconnecting water service. A separate vote on pricing will take place in early July after a period for public comment.
The plan also calls for an advertising and outreach campaign, extra effort to repair system leaks and 16 additional staff members for "water patrol," whose duties could entail issuing citations to those who waste water. Money for the program would come from a $33 million drought fund financed by fees built into user rates.
Customers like Linda Nordquist of
"I went out to dinner last week, and they didn't put water on the table, which they always do," she said.
The last time the district imposed rationing was in the early 1990s, toward the end of a six-year drought that left swimming pools and reservoirs empty and ushered in an era of low-flow toilets and showerheads.
In the years since, Californians have adopted even more aggressive water-saving strategies. For instance, some golf courses - which face some of the steepest reduction requirements in the EBMUD plan - have incorporated recycled water into their systems.
Still, even after 15 or more years of relatively good rainfall,
"Even Sacramento, which is relatively drought-proof sitting at the junction of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, is gearing up for restrictions," said Jennifer Persike, spokeswoman for the Association of California Water Agencies. "We're seeing a statewide impact here; we're in preparation for what will be a tough summer and possibly another tough year."
So far, the
But that might not last.
Although the
Officials at the Sonoma County Water Agency, which sells water to nine agencies in
"The projection looks really gloomy," said Brad Sherwood, spokesman for the
Water squeeze is on
In response to a severe water shortage the East Bay Municipal Utility District will vote today on whether to impose water rationing. Agency officials also are likely to discuss drought pricing, though they are not scheduled to vote on that until July. Some pricing proposals under consideration:
-- Ten percent temporary increase on water rates (not other charges).
-- Drought surcharge of $1 per 748 gallons if customers do not conserve half the needed reduction.
-- Single-family will be charged for water use above 90 percent of past consumption (based on last 3 years).
-- Multi-family and commercial customers will be charged for water use above 94 percent of past consumption (based on last 3 years).
-- Water users consuming more than 172 gallons per day face higher charges. Users who use 393 gallons or more per day face even higher charges.#
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/12/MNVE10KVE0.DTL
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