A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 18, 2009
2. Supply –
The
Poets Corner gets new water-rationing program
Contra Costa Times
Main break leaves LB residents without water
Temporary water outages expected in Santa Margarita
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Problems could arise, such as storage and a lack of water later in the year for some irrigation systems.
The
By Colleen O'Connor
A dozen late-winter windstorms coated high mountain snow with dust, causing the snow to melt earlier than usual. Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Erin Curtis said the peak occurred in late May.
BLM is especially worried about flows on the
"People don't understand, just by looking at it, how fast it's moving," Curtis said. "They let their guard down and don't realize underneath there's a very strong current."
Last weekend, Jesse Lee Melvin of
Water storage may also be an issue, said Andy Barrett of the National Snow and
"When snowmelt starts earlier, you have to make sure there's room in reservoirs to store the water, and also satisfy the demands of people downstream, like rafters and kayakers," he said.
Data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service shows that reservoir storage statewide is at 116 percent of average, the best since 1999.
"But the earlier the runoff comes, the sooner the water runs out for certain irrigation systems that depend on streams, not water in reservoirs," said Jim Pokrandt, a spokesman for the Colorado River Water Conservation District.
This could affect businesses such as haying operations along the
"They count on irrigating their hay as long as they can from rivers," said Nolan Doesken, state climatologist at
But the early snowmelt, combined with recent weeks of heavy rain, is good news for quenching thirsty lawns right now, and maintaining municipal water supplies for the summer.
"Everyone's drinking water will be fine," Pokrandt said.#
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_12604156
Raised drought alert prompted the change
By Andrea Moss
Residents in this city and surrounding areas will have to restrict their landscape watering and cut their water use in other ways starting July 1, or be prepared to pay the price.
The Vallecitos Water District declared a Level 2 Drought Alert earlier this month, setting the stage for mandatory conservation measures expected to kick in for agency customers with the new fiscal year.
The district is based in
Designed to help the district achieve a regional goal of a 10 percent reduction in water use, the conservation measures will ban landscape watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. no more than three days a week, with individual watering stations set for no longer than 10 minutes each.
Some of the other mandatory conservation measures include bans on washing down sidewalks, driveways, parking lots and other paved areas, as well as a ban on ornamental fountains that do not recycle their water.
Two fountains at
Vallecitos customers can also expect to see their water and sewer rates go up July 1, under a new rate structure that the district's board is expected to approve at a June 24 public hearing.
If approved, the increases would add $15.55 to the average residential customer's monthly water bill for the next year and an additional $10.08 per month in fiscal year 2010-11.
The average water and sewer bill for residential customers who use 19 units of water per month is $83.91 today.
Rucker said most of the proposed rate hikes are "pass through" increases, or hikes in fees the agency has to pay for the water it buys and ships to customers.
However, the tiered structure also includes "drought-rate pricing" that rewards people who are already conserving and penalizes water hogs, he said.
Rucker said he expects the proposed rates to help the district meet a 10 percent conservation goal set by the San Diego County Water Authority.
"Everybody should be able to do that without major changes in their lifestyles," Rucker said. "If it were a 20 (percent) or 30 (percent) or 40 percent change, obviously that's something you've got to think about every time you turn on the tap water."
The agency is just the latest in the region to declare a Level 2 Drought Alert.
The ruling, designed to protect an endangered species of smelt, is important to
"Our Web site would be one, our city newsletter would be another example of a tool that we would use," she said. "We're putting information in our lobby for residents who stop by, that sort of thing."
The water agency will be responsible for enforcing the conservation measures. Rucker said he is asking the board to let him to decide how the agency will deal with water hogs who don't participate in the conservation effort.
He said those customers could face increasingly stiff fines and water-use restrictions, for example. He predicted the monetary incentives and penalties built into the proposed rate structure will save him from having to go after many water-wasters, though.#
Poets Corner gets new water-rationing program
Contra Costa Times-6/16/09
By Lisa P. White
The City Council approved a watering-rationing program Monday that gives Poets Corner residents access to canal water for 60 hours per week.
Residents may use water from 6 a.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to 6 a.m. the following day. However, the pumps will be off from noon to 4 p.m. on those days to prevent watering during the hottest part of the day, when evaporation wastes water.
The revised water rationing program is expected to go into effect Tuesday.
The council agreed quickly on the watering schedule but got hung up on the advisory board's request to make "minor modifications" to the program without council approval to keep consumption within the monthly water allocation.
Mayor Michael Harris, saying he did not want to "micromanage" Diablo Vista, pressed for giving the board members flexibility to monitor water consumption and make changes to the plan as they see fit.
Councilman David Durant insisted on defined guidelines. He proposed giving the board authority to turn off the pumps for up to four additional hours on watering days. The council must convene an emergency meeting to approve a greater reduction in the hours of watering.
After a lengthy debate, the council agreed to adopt Durant's resolution. Councilwoman Terri Williamson, who lives in Poets Corner, recused herself from the vote.
Diablo
Diablo Vista Water System delivers untreated canal water for landscaping purchased from the Contra Costa Water District. Since May 1, the system has been available only on weekends and one weekday because the water district has reduced by 45 percent the amount of water Diablo Vista will receive this year.
The advisory board had planned to buy extra water, beyond the monthly allotment — at four times the regular rate — if it gets really hot. But the water district won't allow Diablo Vista to "buy its way out of the drought," said Steve Zalewski, advisory board chairman. Instead, the board set aside $24,000 to pay the penalty rate if the system happens to exceed the monthly allocation.
The 475 homeowners in the Diablo Vista service area pay an annual assessment of $285 plus one-half of 1 percent of the assessed value of their homes for unlimited canal water. Typically, Diablo Vista provides water from April through December, when the water district drains the canal for maintenance.#
Main break leaves LB residents without water
A water-main break in
The 8-inch pipeline on
Residents in 65 apartments and seven homes would be without water until repairs are made on the main, which dates back from 1922, Catzenberger said.
Public works crews asked that motorists avoid the blocked off area until the pipeline is fixed, he added.#
Temporary water outages expected in Santa Margarita
Tonya Strickland
Santa Margarita residents may experience temporary water outages through September as neighborhoods receive new fire hydrants and pipeline upgrades.
The work is designed to improve the community’s water distribution system for fire relief, officials said, to meet state requirements.
Notices from the county will be sent to affected residents at least 72 hours in advance of the temporary outages, which will occur between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the
The work, awarded to Jackson, Calif.-based Vinciguerra Construction for $389,000, will also include a new water system loop and the installation of more than 20 in-line valves. The project is funded by a combination of loans and grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Residents can also expect to see trenching at various locations throughout the community while valves and fire hydrant connections are installed. New pipelines will be installed at
Motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists are advised to use caution around the construction, officials said, and observe construction signs and workers.#
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/breaking_news/story/756085.html
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