[Water_news] 2. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: SUPPLY - 4/22/09

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment 

 

April 22, 2009

 

2. Supply –

 

 

Santa Rosa to penalize heavy water users if drought worsens

Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 4/21/09
By Mike McCoy

 

Santa Rosa residents could see their water bills skyrocket under a plan approved Tuesday by the City Council that would penalize those unable to conserve should the county’s water shortage worsen.

 

The council unanimously adopted a series of increasingly expensive water rates and penalties that will kick in should the council move beyond the current Stage One water shortage it declared Feb. 24.

 

That stage asks residents and business owners to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15 percent. It does not include any financial penalties, although it prohibits the washing of sidewalks and stipulates restaurants only serve water upon a customer’s request.

 

The Sonoma County Water Agency, which delivers Russian River water to 600,000 residents in Sonoma and Marin counties, made a similar declaration in the face of low water levels in storage reservoirs due to several years of below-average annual rainfall totals.

 

But while Santa Rosa officials believe residents will meet the 15 percent reduction, the rates adopted Tuesday are more punitive efforts to gain compliance should the water crisis worsen.

 

Depending on how bad it gets, the city could declare anything from a Stage Two to a Stage Four shortage. The latter would require residents to reduce their monthly water use by 50 percent or pay a steep penalty.

 

The higher rates, if needed, would be imposed “only for as long as the water emergency lasts,” administrative services officer Linda Reed said.

Jennifer Burke, the city’s water resources planner, said the new rates could actually result in lowering the water bills of those able to meet the conservation goals.

“Those who meet the allocations will actually see a reduction,” she said.

 

Currently, a homeowner who now uses an average of 12,000 gallons a month pays $53.12. Under the severest stage — which calls for a 50 percent water savings — that same homeowner would pay $138 if they were unable to conserve, Burke said. If they met the 50 percent reduction, their bill would be around $38.

 

Mayor Susan Gorin said it has not yet been determined if Santa Rosa or the county must declare a Stage Two shortage. Two weeks ago, the State Water Resources Control Board demanded Sonoma County reduce its water use by 25 percent and Mendocino County by 50 percent.

 

The orders were undertaken to protect Lake Mendocino, part of the Sonoma County Water Agency’s supply network that also includes Lake Sonoma.

Lake Mendocino is the main water supply for several upstream river cities including Ukiah and Cloverdale and is critical to maintaining stream flows for three endangered salmonoid species.

 

Currently it is only at 60 percent capacity.#

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090421/articles/904219873

 

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