Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 25, 2008
Officials ask Congress for help to rid Southwest of mussels
The Desert Sun- 6/24/08
Audit finds DWP chief's yard to be overflowing
LA Daily News- 6/23/08
Local water officials discuss drought crisis tonight
Santa Clarita Signal- 6/24/08
Angry over missing water meters, Sacramento
The Sacramento
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Officials ask Congress for help to rid Southwest of mussels
The Desert Sun- 6/24/08
By Deborah Barfield
“It’s significant. They grow very quickly,’’ said Ric De Leon, water systems operations manager for the Metropolitan Water District in Southern California, which includes
De Leon and others testified about the invasion of the mussels at a hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Water and Power. Water authority officials complained that the Quagga, a thumb-sized mussel, can clog water pipes and facilities and wreak havoc on habitats.
The officials urged Congress to provide federal funding for more research, to develop a regional plan to address the problem and help agencies rid their water systems of the mussels. De
“We are coping with the problem – for the moment,’’ said Ronald Zegers, director of the Southern Nevada Water System, who called it the “most serious non- indigenous’’ pest introduced in North American freshwater systems.
The mussel first appeared in the Great Lakes in the 1980’s, but has since spread to other states, including
State water officials and scientists said there are a few effective ways to kill the mussels, except chlorine which can be harmful to the environment.
“By solving one problem we created another,’’ said Zegers. “All of these solutions come at a price.’’
Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Ca., chairwoman of the subcommittee, said she plans to convene a meeting of officials from such agencies as the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to form “some kind of road map’’ to solve the problem.
Napolitano also urged federal officials to look into a possible biological treatment alternative tested in
Federal land officials said addressing the problem is a priority and have channeled funding into research and educational outreach, including a campaign dubbed, “Don’t Move a Mussel.’’ But lawmakers complained they are not moving fast enough to identify and address the problem.
“This has been a difficult issue for us in the West,’’ said Rep. Jim Costa, D- Ca.
Boat manufacturers and dealers, however, warned against overreactions and fear that has lead some communities to ban recreation boats on waterways. Boats have been a vehicle for mussels, officials said. Those bans actions have had an impact on local economies and recreational boaters, said Jim Klark of the Southern
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080624/NEWS11/80624026/1263/update
Audit finds DWP chief's yard to be overflowing
LA Daily News- 6/23/08
As city leaders urge residents to trim energy and water usage amid the sweltering summer months, a home audit of the chief of
Auditors last month found that lawn sprinklers at General Manager H. David Nahai's 6,000-square-foot
The watering resulted in about a foot of subsurface moisture and boosted the general manager's average water consumption - 36,185 gallons a month, or 1,190 gallons a day - higher than most of his neighbors.
And while auditors found some energy-saving efforts at Nahai's home - and noted that his average bimonthly electric bill of $414 for 1,762 kilowatt hours a month was slightly less than those of his neighbors - they still found plenty of inefficiencies and energy-wasting appliances.
"I'm offering myself up as an example," said Nahai, who requested the audit of his home in the community north of
"We can all take a look at where it is in our personal lives and our residences and see where water is being wasted and make a choice whether we want to cut back on that waste or not."
Nahai - who said he is now on a personal quest to cut energy and water consumption - said that like most people, he didn't question his average bimonthly $464 water bill and assumed that his gardener had properly adjusted the automatic lawn sprinklers.
And he said he and his family - his wife, a 21-year-old and two teenagers - have taken energy-saving steps including using recirculated water in the swimming pool, low-flow toilets and a new high-efficiency washing machine.
Still, the audit's findings come as new energy and water rate hikes are taking effect, the city is considering fines for water-wasters, and soaring summer temperatures sent energy usage Saturday to a record for weekend utility usage in June.
And Nahai's usage is significantly higher than average ratepayers citywide - who use about 18,092 gallons of water per month and 500 kilowatt hours of electricity every month.
"If he's going to whack us with higher rates and restrictions, he better do it," said Mel Flohr, a retired West Hills resident. "The public will cooperate without fines if they get the proper example."
Flohr said that example also has to extend to city and other public facilities, where he said he still sees sprinklers being used during the day.
"If they ask us to do it, they ought to do it. They're sure getting paid enough," he said.
But Nahai said the audit's findings highlight the fact that no DWP customer is immune from unintentional and expensive conservation lapses.
And he said that without a careful evaluation of his six-bedroom, seven-bath home - purchased in 1991 - it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what changes are needed.
"Most people don't really think about it, and of course my consciousness has over the years become more acute. But still, until recently ... exactly where it was that I would most be able to cut my own water use wasn't clear until I had this audit done," Nahai said.
Nahai said he waited for DWP staffers to be free from other tasks to perform the audit and intends to pay any costs that were involved.
Among the findings, auditors recommended that Nahai replace incandescent light bulbs in about 65 recessed ceiling lights, table lamps and wall sconces with energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps.
Auditors also said older, less efficient appliances including a refrigerator, freezer and dishwasher should be replaced, and pool-pump motor operation should be cut in half.
"The combination of behavior and the water-efficient hardware within the home indicate that the household is doing a good job of conserving water indoors," the audit said.
But Nahai's outside water usage fared worse, much as it does citywide as residential irrigation accounts for 40percent of all water consumption.
"Your gardener sets the sprinkler and it goes off at night, you're sleeping, and the bill comes along and you pay it," he said.
He said the focus now needs to be on irrigation and other outside water use in the face of drought conditions and new development pressures.
"So if we can make a meaningful dent in that 40percent that is used outside, we can much improve our conservation figures and I am a very live example of that," said Nahai.
Nahai said he now only waters his lawn at night twice a week, and although some brown spots have started to show, he's working on getting the right mix.
He also is evaluating purchasing a smart irrigation controller - which detects moisture in the air so sprinklers don't come on when it's raining - and is planning to get a landscape "submeter."
Nahai said he doesn't know exactly how much he has spent - and hasn't worked out a budget for the conservation upgrades - but said ratepayers at all income levels can cut their water and energy use.
Nahai noted several DWP rebate programs - and held up a $250 rebate check for a new, water- and energy-efficient washing machine that he said he'll return.
"I'm going to give it right back ... but they actually sent it," Nahai said.
The utility also has given away 30,000 energy-efficient refrigerators to low-income and other needy ratepayers. And the DWP is starting a program to give away more than 2million energy-efficient light bulbs.
Nahai said he has been replacing incandescent light bulbs as they burn out in his house, but now plans to replace all the remaining ones.
Air-conditioning energy consumption wasn't questioned in the audit, but a suggestion was made to install programmable thermostats that shut off air conditioning at night or when no one is home.
"As a family we're very good at turning lights off, of not running the AC unless it's absolutely necessary," he said.
"As far as behavior is concerned, we do quite well ... but there's still more that we can do."
Nahai said he understands that some people are financially struggling and frustrated with the recent rate hikes, but said he hopes using himself as an example will give others strategies for saving money.
"Yes, it may be that I'm blessed with having more assets than some and less than others, but I'm constantly mindful of those people within the city who aren't as able to fend for themselves," he said.
"Contrary to the thought that I'm making some kind of elitist statement here, I'm opening up my private life and I'm saying, `Here is what I've discovered and here's what I want to do to reduce both my usage and my expenditures. Can you do the same?'
"It's meant with an open heart."
A CLOSER LOOK
Highlights of a DWP audit of General Manager H. David Nahai's 6,000-square-foot
Overview
Nahai's bimonthly water bill didn't dip during the winter - when less irrigation is required - suggesting that his automatic sprinklers were running excessively during that time and possibly throughout the year. It also found that water use over 14 months was climbing.
Water use
Problem: Landscape is over-watered.
Summary: The Nahais are doing a good job conserving water inside the house. The majority of the water used on the property is for landscape.
Solutions:
1. Reduce sprinkler run times and adjust for the seasons, with minimal watering in winter.
2. Install a smart irrigation controller.
3. Consider installing a landscape submeter to track outdoor water use and cost.
4. Install a pool cover to reduce evaporation.
Electricity use
Problem: Use is about average but more can be done to reduce consumption.
Summary: Energy use is lower than would be expected for a home this size. The clothes washer and dryer are both high- efficiency units. The home has mostly incandescent light bulbs, two of three heat pumps are older models, it has an older refrigerator, and the pool pump program runs too long.
Solutions:
1. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps. Several fixtures have already been changed but there were approximately 65 recessed ceiling lights, table lamps, and wall sconces containing 60- and 75-watt incandescent bulbs.
2. Replace manual thermostats with programmable ones. Set thermostats in common areas as high as possible in summer and as low as possible in winter. Each degree can produce a 2percent savings on energy costs. A setting of 68 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in summer is suggested. Program thermostats to shut off when home is unoccupied and during sleeping hours.
3. Replace older heat pumps with newer, more energy-efficient models.
4. Replace older refrigerator with new Energy Star model. Maintain refrigerator temperature no colder than necessary, usually 37-40 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Reduce pool pump run-time to 4.5 hours per day. Pump run-time also could be further reduced by covering the pool in winter.
6. Establish a regular maintenance program by qualified heating/cooling equipment personnel.
7. Clean or replace air filters on indoor heating/cooling units every three months.
8. Replace older dishwasher with newer Energy Star model.
9. Replace inefficient and damaged door seals on the refrigerator/freezer.
10. Install timer on water heater circulation pump to turn it off when the demand is low and save both electricity and natural gas.#
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_9678493?source=rv
Local water officials discuss drought crisis tonight
Santa Clarita Signal- 6/24/08
By Jim Holt, Senior Writer
Local water officials are expected to hear tonight about the state's "impending water crisis" and about implications of the governor's recent declaration of a drought, from the lobbyists they pay to stay close to politicians in
Lobbyists Ralph F. Simoni and Dennis K. Albiani of California Advocates, Inc., are expected to debrief members of the Castaic Lake Water Agency's Government Relations and Outreach Committee tonight via conference call on the implications of the governor possibly declaring an emergency.
In a letter sent to the committee in advance of tonight's meeting, Simoni and Albiani also explain the implications of a tightening state budget on an impending water crisis and outline how water bonds may become a reality by November.
But most dire in their assessment of state water issues is their report on the drought.
They warn, in their letter, about the implications of the governor declaring an emergency over worsening drought conditions.
"Although a proclamation lacks the authority of a declaration of emergency, the proclamation should be viewed as an initial step in a multi-phased process that will likely conclude with a declaration of drought emergency," they state in their letter.
Such a declaration, if the governor were to announce it, would allow the state to override existing restrictions on the transfer of water and enable water agencies to implement emergency plans to deliver sufficient water to their respective communities.
Despite the doom and gloom over drought, Simoni and Albiani expressed optimism that a comprehensive state water plan could be drafted before the November election and placed on the ballot.
When the governor proclaimed a statewide drought earlier this month, Dan Masnada, general manager of the local water agency, said stored water would allow Santa Clarita to get by for two years in the event of an emergency.
State Assemblyman Mike Villines and Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill are proponents of surface water storage and of plans to move that water through the San Joaquin Delta to places south such as Santa Clarita. The lobbyists identified the new legislative leadership team of Speaker Karen Bass and Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg as possible supporters of the same measure.
"Notwithstanding the efforts of Governor Schwarzenegger and U.S. Senator (Dianne) Feinstein to restart discussion of a water bond proposal in the hopes of placing it on the November ballot, there has been no tangible progress until recently," they wrote.
Speaker Bass and Senator Pro Tem Steinberg, according to lobbyists, are not expected to stand in the way of legislation on future surface water storage.
They point out that Speaker Bass has already visited with the Association of California Water Agencies in an effort "to educate herself of the impending water crisis."
Richard Stapler, press secretary for Speaker Bass, told The Signal Monday that the speaker visited
Jim Evans, press secretary for Senator Pro Tem Steinberg, said of the governor's drought declaration: "It only highlights that we have a problem.
"What we can do is push forward and fix it and that depends on a lot of groups to do two things: one, accept that we do have a problem and two, appreciate that there are diverse ways of approaching the problem.
"It's not dams, it's not groundwater, it's a wide range of options to choose from."#
http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/2526/
Angry over missing water meters, Sacramento
The Sacramento
By Terri Hardy
Outraged over an audit's revelations that
Then they went looking for blood.
"Who's responsible? Someone has to be responsible," said City Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy.
The answer wasn't very satisfying.
"Things have to have assigned accountability," said Auditor Marty Kolkin. "In many cases, that did not occur."
Besides the $1.3 million in missing meters, Kolkin's audit revealed a host of problems, including failure to follow competitive bidding procedures, and questionable debit charges by employees – an $808 binge at JR's Texas BBQ and a "custom retirement plaque" for $1,428 among the purchases.
Assistant City Manager Marty Hanneman, who has been assigned to take over as interim director, said he couldn't disclose if anyone has lost his or her job or been disciplined as a result of the audit's findings.
"It's a personnel matter," he said.
Gary Reents, the department's director since 2003, retired earlier this month and wasn't on hand to field questions.
Adding to the council's anger: The Utilities Department also has been the focus of a joint city/FBI probe since 2006, looking into the sale of scrap metal on the black market. It's not clear how many – if any – of the meters not accounted for are part of that scam.
Hanneman said the department already has implemented several fixes, including increased security and tighter controls on spending. A citywide overhaul of contracting procedures is in the works.
City Manager Ray Kerridge and Mayor Heather Fargo said they will push to beef up the city's auditing department to quicken probes into other departments.
Despite those assurances, the council was clearly concerned about the utility office's competence.
A new vote is scheduled July 22.
The department in 2005 launched a massive $400 million water meter retrofit program for
"If we're raising rates, we have the responsibility to make sure (the water retrofit) is done right," said Councilman Kevin McCarty.
Costs of the program will be paid for by
Betsy Reifsnider, a
"I used to be the head of a nonprofit organization. If we had run our nonprofit having no checks and balances, not knowing where things are going – that is so wrong," she said.
In January, retired Water Superintendent Barry C. Holland pleaded guilty to taking bribes as part of a long-term scam to sell used city water meters to the owner of a Bay Area salvage company.
That FBI investigation continues, according to Robert Tice-Raskin, an assistant
As the city learned more about that scheme, Kolkin began an audit of the department. Based on preliminary numbers, he calculated that of the 32,183 meters the city has purchased since 1998, some 4,500 meters cannot be located.
The Utilities Department has failed in its computer system to correctly note a meter's serial number with the address of the home or business it monitors, officials said. So it could be that some of the meters are installed, but not logged in properly.
Or, they may have been sold as part of the salvage scheme.
That count is ongoing and is expected to be completed this summer.
Hanneman said if it appears that the meters are truly missing, "we'll get the police involved."
State law requires all homes built after Jan. 1, 1992, to include a water meter. A subsequent 2004 state law, AB 2572, required utilities to install water meters on all older homes by 2025.
Utilities must begin billing all metered customers according to actual consumption starting Jan. 1, 2010, though they are allowed a one-year extension to allow customers to phase in metered rates.
The city is funded to install 1,000 residential meters this year, and 2,000 in the 2008-2009 fiscal year. Installation has lagged behind a planned schedule.
The city has fallen behind on the installation of 727 residential meters. These, in two blocks in
In the midtown case, a contract for meters had to be re-bid, said Dave Brent, engineering manager. In the other, the city ran into installation problems, an all-too-common occurrence.
In many neighborhoods, water and sewer pipes originally were installed along rear property lines, not in the street. So the city has to move water lines out to the street to install meters and also move each home's water connection from the back to the front, significantly adding to costs and complications.
Sometimes during construction, crews come across a water service line that they didn't know existed. They have also found cases in which two homes were served by a single water line.
The city also has pledged to install 4,333 commercial meters by the end of 2006, but so far has only put in 229, or 5 percent.#
http://www.sacbee.com/749/story/1037942.html
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