A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
May 15, 2009
2. Supply –
Council OKs declaration of drought
The
ENCINITAS: Water board denies renewed
The
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Council OKs declaration of drought
The
By Michael Burge
The drought plan imposes an 8 percent cut in water consumption.
It affects customers of the Carlsbad Municipal Water District, which supplies all but the southernmost part of the city. That section is served by the Vallecitos and Olivenhain Municipal water districts, which also have adopted drought measures.
The council approved the drought declaration 4-0 on Tuesday with Mark Packard absent.
Mark Stone, the city's deputy public works director, said in an interview that the major effect on residents will be limits on outdoor use.
Residents will be limited to watering three days a week for no more than 10 minutes per irrigation station. Stone said the city will inform residents by mail what days they can water.
“They're going to have to pay more attention to their water use, especially outdoors,“ Stone said.
Residents also will have to irrigate between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and will be prohibited from spraying down driveways, patios and sidewalks.
The council has scheduled a hearing for June 23 to consider adopting an 8 percent increase in water rates. It also will consider a tiered-rate structure that increases the cost of water as more is used in the hope that it will increase conservation. The Southern California Metropolitan Water District adopted a 19 percent rate increase, which affects the San Diego County Water Authority, the region's wholesale water supplier. The authority passes the increase on to local water agencies. #
ENCINITAS: Water board denies renewed
The
By Tom Pfingsten
ENCINITAS ---- A group of investors behind the
Gregory Canyon Ltd. and the Olivenhain Municipal Water District reached an agreement in March 2006 to provide recycled water to the project three miles east of Interstate 15 and south of Highway 76.
The agreement called for nearly 62 million gallons of recycled water a year to be delivered to the canyon via trucks.
A January court order invalidated the original contract, but the developer renewed its offer to pay Olivenhain to send dozens of trucks a day from Encinitas to Fallbrook loaded with recycled water.
The offer was rejected Wednesday, said Olivenhain general manager Kimberly Thorner.
"The board voted that the Olivenhain Municipal Water District will not be supplying recycled water to
Nancy Chase, a spokeswoman for Gregory Canyon Ltd., said the board's decision was not a major setback.
"It was not unexpected, and we still have a good relationship with (Olivenhain)," Chase said. "We are actively pursuing, and very close to confirming, other water sources, which will be equally acceptable."
The landfill proposal calls for a 183-acre dump to be built on 1,770 acres near the San Luis Rey River about two miles west of the Pala Indian Reservation. The proposed facility, which would accept 1 million tons of garbage per year for 30 years, has been a lightning rod for local residents concerned that toxic chemicals could eventually leak into the river.
Water is also a key to operating the proposed landfill, and Gregory Canyon Ltd. must prove to authorities that it has a supply before it can begin building the facility.
That's where Wednesday's decision comes in, said opposing attorney Everett DeLano.
"This is a pretty serious thing, a landfill next to a drinking water source, and it's good to see that the various agencies are at least recognizing these concerns," said
He said RiverWatch sued Olivenhain in August 2006, claiming that its contract with Gregory Canyon Ltd. was invalid because neither entity had examined its potential environmental effects.
A
Olivenhain's denial of the
The letter expressed concern that leaked pollutants could eventually threaten "vitally important groundwater supplies" in the San Luis Rey River valley.
"Regional water supplies are becoming more constrained and it is important that local sources be protected and preserved," the water authority's letter stated. "The
The water authority is a water wholesaler that serves two dozen agencies in
Thorner said the Olivenhain board could have voted to renew its contract with
"I'm not in the business of landfills, but I do know that our sister water agencies have concerns, and we understand that," she said. "We don't take a position. We're not against it, we're not for it ---- we're just not going to be supplying recycled water to the project."
Thorner also said she isn't concerned about finding other places to sell the recycled water that won't be going to
"Because of the drought, there is no lack of demand for recycled water ---- as fast as we can get the pipes in," she said.#
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