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[Water_news] 2. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: SUPPLY - 7/03/09

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment 

 

July 3, 2009

 

2. Supply –

 

 

Windsor enacts mandatory water conservation

Santa Rosa Press Democrat

 

A turf war your water bill can win

Tracy Press

 

January's rain deficit hurt Sacramento annual total

Sacramento Bee

 

Rainfall year still falls short of average

Chico Enterprise Record

 

Latest state water cuts looming

Ukiah Daily Journal

 

Russian River Flood Control District Water

Ukiah Daily Journal

 

Pumps bring water, but for how long?

Efforts to protect Delta smelt cut water by 660,000 acre feet last year

Capital Press

 

MMWD looks at plan for longer drought

Marin Independent Journal-

 

Water main break in West Napa

Napa Valley Register

 

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Windsor enacts mandatory water conservation

Santa Rosa Press Democrat-7/2/09

By Clark mason  

 

Beginning immediately, Windsor residents are required to be even stingier with water use.

 

On a 4-0 vote, the Town Council on Wednesday enacted mandatory water conservation measures requiring residents to limit irrigation to three days per week, confine watering to night and early morning hours and make sure there is no over-spray and gutter runoff.

 

Town officials predicted that more lawns will turn brown. And in more of a symbolic gesture, over the objections of Councilman Sam Salmon, the council agreed to turn off the fountain on the Town Green for the summer and drain it, even though it re-circulates and loses relatively little water.

 

The council’s resolution requires that residents east of Highway 101 only irrigate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Residents west of Highway 101 can do so on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. There is no watering on Mondays.

 

“As a town, we’ve been doing really well with conservation,” Mayor Robin Goble. But she and her colleagues agreed more needs to be done.

 

Town officials expect that most people will do their best to comply.

 

Violators can expect to get a notice tagged to their door, and if they are especially flagrant water abusers, the town has the ability to disconnect them.

 

“Our approach is to educate people, not penalize,” said Public Works Director Richard Burtt.

 

Wednesday’s action comes in response to a state order that the Sonoma County Water Agency reduce by 25 percent the amount of water it pumps from the Russian River.

 

The state also set conservation goals of 25 percent in Sonoma County and 50 percent in Mendocino County, compared to 2004, when rain was more plentiful.

 

North Bay cities and water districts that are supplied by the county water agency have responded in a variety of ways to the state’s goal to reduce water usage.

 

Some have greater flexibility than Windsor. Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park, for example can pump water from their own wells and reservoirs and therefore reduce their dependence on the water agency.

 

But the state decided this year that Windsor’s own wells along the Russian River are part of the county agency’s water rights.

 

“If people have other sources of water not tied to the Russian River, they have the ability to use those supplies to augment any cutbacks on deliveries from the water agency. Windsor doesn’t have that luxury,” said Town Manager Matt Mullan Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Cotati and Rohnert Park are among those that have enacted voluntary measures seeking to reduce water use from between 15 to 20 percent.

 

Sonoma County and the North Marin Water District have mandatory conservation measures in effect that seek to cut back on water use by 25 percent.

 

Earlier this week, Santa Rosa and county water officials said water conservation efforts appear to be having an impact.

 

Santa Rosa officials said overall water use in the city was down almost 30 percent in May, compared to May 2004, and because of that more stringent, mandatory measures may be avoided.

 

And the county water agency reported that so far this year, its Russian River diversions are down 26 percent compared to five years ago.

 

Windsor officials are frustrated they do not get credit for the large amount of recycled wastewater used in turf and landscape watering.

 

That includes irrigation at more than 450 homes in the Vintage Greens development, along with the Town Green, Windsor High School, the golf course and parks.#

 

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/ARTICLES/907029972

 

 

A turf war your water bill can win

Tracy Press-7/1/09

by Susan Price

 

In recent years, water has become one of our most endangered resources.

 

With ever-increasing demand and successive years of drought, it's is hard to justify wasteful irrigation practices.

 

In summer months, water used for our lawns represents 40 to 60 percent of total household water use. Think of how much water can be saved, if we replace all or a portion of our lawns with native or low-water use plants.

 

Not only will we conserve water, we can reduce the amount of fertilizers and lawn chemicals that often end up in our groundwater. There also can be a tremendous labor savings once the task of taking out the lawn is done. Imagine not having to mow the lawn every Saturday morning.

 

That pay-off requires some work before hand, though. A sod-cutter from a tool-rental shop, which can be had for less than $100 a day, can save your back from sweaty work, and if strips are stacked atop each other grass-side to grass-side, they’ll turn into compost.

 

The other way of removing grass involves a shovel, and when lawn is dug up, so too is dirt. The weight ads up quickly, and if you plan to have it carted away in your green waste container, be careful about overfilling it. If it’s too heavy, it’ll be left on the curb unemptied. Less than half-full is a safe bet though.

 

Remember, the end goal is to reduce water use. That means converting overhead sprinklers to drip irrigation, soaker hoses or comparable systems. Aim to reduce your total water use by at least 25 percent.

 

While manicured lawns have been the gold standard for homeowners for many years, they have become a luxury that our society may not be able to afford.

 

Fortunately, there are many water-thrifty plants that can replace lawns that can be just as visually pleasing. You can do mass plantings of beautiful groundcovers, a mixture of perennials and shrubs, or maybe try the meadow look, with drifts of ornamental grasses.

 

You can intersperse plantings with pavers, rocks or pea gravel. Not only will the new landscape provide environmental and maintenance benefits, it will be more interesting for you and your neighbors to observe over the seasons. Unlike grass, mixed plantings come in an array of colors, shapes and sizes. Plus, many of our native and drought-tolerant plants attract butterflies and other beneficial insects.

 

Basic landscape design principles still apply, however, especially if your new water-thrifty garden is in the front yard. Try to repeat colors and forms, plant in multiples to avoid the chaotic look, include focal point(s), and keep the plants healthy. To borrow a phrase from the book “The Landscape Revolution” by Andy and Sally Wasowski, the landscape should look “tended and intended.” Order and structure still have their place. Some weeding and pruning will still be required to keep the yard neat and tidy.

 

If the thought of replacing the entire lawn is too daunting, consider doing it in stages, taking baby steps instead of one big leap.

 

That's what we did. When we moved to Stockton seven years ago, our front yard consisted of about 2,100 square feet of lawn surrounded by a collection of evergreen hedges and one elm tree. After about a year, we decided to take out a portion of the lawn to replace it with a courtyard.

 

Sure, we wanted to reduce our water bill, but our biggest motivator was the opportunity to add a broader assortment of plants and to create more usable space for entertaining. The area, partly shaded by the elm, provided the perfect environment for many of our favorite plants.

 

By dividing the planting spaces into separate water zones, we could accommodate the different needs of the plants, without wasting water. The low-water plants, like the yellow Lantana and the Chaste tree were placed together, with the more thirsty plants, like camellias, heavenly bamboo and roses, placed elsewhere. About half of the new, roughly 600 square-foot, lawn-free area was hardscape — decorative pavers placed on decomposed granite.

 

The second lawn replacement project came a few years later. It seemed that no amount of irrigation was enough to keep the lawn that remained green during our hot summer months—especially the sun scorched outer fringes. For this reason, we decided to work with nature, rather than against it, and replace the outer portion of our lawn with low-water plants.

 

This time we removed over 800 square feet of lawn — an 8-foot section around the entire remaining lawn. We planted an assortment of Mediterranean plants and natives that thrive in full sun and which, once established, can survive with minimal water.

 

A non-fruiting olive tree is a focal point. Surrounding it are several plantings of Japanese barberry, Gaura, Sea Lavender and dwarf phormiums. To keep the space looking good year-round we included some low-growing evergreen plants like creeping thyme, Santa Barbara Daisy and Carex, a sedge.

 

We've saved on our water bill and have a much more beautiful and diverse landscape.

 

But the biggest payoff may be the compliments we've received from our neighbors, who now are considering a lawn reduction of their own.#

 

http://www.tracypress.com/pages/full_story/push?article-A+turf+war+your+water+bill+can+win%20&id=2867350-A+turf+war+your+water+bill+can+win

 

 

January's rain deficit hurt Sacramento annual total

Sacramento Bee-7/3/09

By Bill Lindelof

As the Sacramento region settles into its annual stretch of dry summer weather, data from the official rain season that ended Tuesday show that though it could have been worse, a little more precipitation would not have hurt.

 

Predictions from the National Weather Service provide no hope that the new rain season – it runs annually from July 1 through June 30 – will start any differently than the previous one ended: It will be warm and dry.

 

This holiday weekend forecast is for mostly clear skies and high temperatures in Sacramento reaching 96 degrees on Independence Day.

 

After that, experts say to expect a moderate slide to 92 degrees Sunday and into the mid-80s the first three days of next week.

 

Weather service forecaster Johnnie Powell provided a breakdown of precipitation data for the just-ended rain season:

 

• Total rainfall: 16.47 inches, 83 percent of normal, which is 19.87 inches. The highest total ever recorded in Sacramento is 37.49 inches in 1982-83; lowest total was 7.25 inches in 1975-76.

 

• January rainfall: 1.48 inches instead of the average of 4.18 in what usually is the wettest month. In the past eight years, January has been above normal one time – 7.42 inches in 2007.

 

• February rainfall: 5.06 inches, well above the average of 3.77. Wettest month in 2008-2009.

 

• April, May and June produced above-average rainfall, just not enough to make up for a below-average year overall.

 

"The spread of the rain was surprising," forecaster George Cline said. "We got the rain in May and June. But we still are in deficit. It wasn't as bad a year as it has been. It could have been better, but we have done a lot worse lately."

 

Cline said a bright spot for the just-completed weather year was that June temperatures were mild, preserving the snowpack some and delaying the snowmelt's annual rush to the sea.

 

"We had a relatively cool June," he said. "That preserves the snowpack. The average temperature ended up 1.7 degrees below normal for June."

 

Month-by-month totals revealed that if January rain had featured average rainfall, Sacramento would have nearly met its annual average.

 

"January was a bad month for us," he said. "February helped a bit, but a dry January is never a good sign for our water year."#

http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/1997466.html

 

Rainfall year still falls short of average

Chico Enterprise Record-7/3/09

By Ryan Olson     

 

Many north state cities saw an increase in rainfall over the past year, but generally precipitation remained below average as California's three-year-old drought continued.

 

The Enterprise-Record's weather station in Chico recorded exactly 20 inches of rain for the precipitation year ending June 30 — an 8-percent increase over the prior year. The 2008-09 total was about 79.8 percent of the average total of 25.09 inches.

 

The precipitation picture was similar across the north state. E-R weather observer Ron Ullman reported 26.15 inches in Oroville, a 29 percent increase over 2007-08's 20.15 inches.

 

In Paradise, E-R weather observer Jay Castor reported 52.88 inches, 29 percent more than the prior year's 40.95 inches. The Paradise Irrigation District recorded 47.17 inches at its station, 90 percent of its average 51.86 inches.

 

Although the past year's rainfall is below normal, it is an improvement over 2006-07 and 2007-08. In Chico, there were 16.17 inches and 18.49 inches of rain respectively.

 

The 2006-07 and 2007-08 rainfall years were the lowest since the drought seasons of 1975-77.

 

Weather forecaster Johnnie Powell from the National Weather Service's Sacramento office said additional precipitation in February and May helped salvage the year after a below-average January.

 

"The late spring rush gave us a little bit more water than we expected," he said.

 

January is typically the most important month because it sees the highest average precipitation.

 

 

Powell noted all but one of the last eight Januarys have been below average.

 

Powell had no prediction for how much water the next year may bring. He said it might be fall before officials can see enough signs to predict weather patterns.

 

Sacramento saw 16.47 inches of rain last year — 83 percent of normal, according to Powell.

 

The state Department of Water Resources is still monitoring runoff until the end of its water year Sept. 30, according to Elissa Lynn, a DWR senior meteorologist.

 

Lynn said it appears statewide runoff will be about 70 percent of average. It's an improvement over the prior two years, but it's still low.

 

A third year of drought means that groundwater isn't recharging sufficiently, according to Lynn. Also, water storage at key reservoirs, such as Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake, remain below average.

 

Storage at Lake Oroville was at 59 percent of its capacity of 3.5 million acre-feet. At this point, it is normally at 69 percent of capacity.

 

Lake Oroville's water elevation of 784 feet is 6.8 percent higher than this time a year ago. It is considerably higher than its low mark of 658.5 feet on Dec. 20. The lake is considered full at 900 feet.

 

"We've just got to hope for some more next year," Lynn said. She said the state is preparing in case the next year is also dry.#

 

http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_12746602

 

 

Latest state water cuts looming

Ukiah Daily Journal-7/3/09

By Zack Cinek     

 

The City of Ukiah's water supply faces an uncertain future this coming week as flows from Lake Mendocino into the Russian River are reduced again as part an order the State Water Board handed down several months ago.

 

Less water being released from Lake Mendocino's dam comes after the Russian River Flood Control District and the Sonoma County Water Agency filed petitions to keep more water in the lake.

 

"We do not know how our machinery is going to work at this level," Jane Chambers, City manager said. Already the city has seen voluntary water conservation of about 32 percent, Chambers said.

 

The city has drilled a new well on Gobbi Street which will come on line next week as well but the city does not yet know how much water it will produce. A second new well in Orchard Manor park is expected to go on line at the end of July. The city is hopeful that both wells will produce 1,500 gallons per minute each, which would go a long way to helping keep the city's water supplies intact.

 

Currently in "Stage 1" water conservation, Ukiah homes are asked to use 50 gallons of water per day per person. Watering lawns causes a water use spike this time of year and its the easiest way to cut back.

 

Ukiah's highest water use figures have been seen in July and August, Chambers said. About two million gallons per day is used in winter months with summer months seeing about six million gallons per day.

 

"We need people to do about half of that," Chambers said.

 

The State Water Board, a regulatory agency, granted the petition but also asked for a 50 percent reduction of water use in the Ukiah area and 25 percent reduction of water in Sonoma County if flows were to be reduced.

From April 6 through June 30, the order stated that flows would be lowered from a normal 185 cubic feet per second to 75 cubic feet per second.

 

A second clamp down in flows begins in July and ends in October takes flows from 75 cubic feet per second to 25 cubic feet per second, the order stated.

 

Data from the state reads that releases from Coyote Dam have ranged from 124 cubic feet per second to 134 cubic feet per second.

 

The Millview County Water District spans from north of Ukiah to south of Redwood Valley. Millview manager Tim Bradley said he would have to wait and see how the new July reduction effects Millview supply.

 

Millview asked its customers to cut back 50 percent and Bradley reported that a 50 percent reduction was met for the month of May, but figures for June had yet to be tallied.

 

Uses prohibited by Ukiah.

-Using water if you have not made fixes to your system if asked for in writing by the city.

-Water use that floods or runs into gutters (use a commercial car wash).

-Using a hose to wash cars, buses, boats, trailers or other vehicles that yields runoff in streets.

-Using a hose to wash buildings, sidewalks, walkways, driveways, patios, parking lots, tennis courts and any hard-surfaced area causing runoff in streets.

-Service of water at restaurants unless requested.

-Flushing of hydrants unless required by law.

-Use of more than minimal amounts for new construction landscaping.

 

Measures Ukiah may take to enforce water regulations.

-Information letter and a visit or warning.

-Install a flow restrictor.

-Shut off and reconnection fee.#

 

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_12747459?IADID=Search-www.ukiahdailyjournal.com-www.ukiahdailyjournal.com

 

 

Russian River Flood Control District Water

Ukiah Daily Journal-7/3/09

By Sean White, District General manager

 

Lake Mendocino storage peaked on June 18 at 57,229 acre feet. While storage is now begining to slowly drop, reductions in minimum instream flow are set to go into effect on July 6th.

 

The reduction from 75 to 25 cfs should help reduce the rate of drawdown and possibly lead to minor gains. While the reservoir storage is still very low, the results of everyone's conservation effforts as well as the Change Petition have things in as good as shape as we could hope for given the circumstances.

 

We still have a long season in front of us so it is imperative to remain vigilant about water use. I have been overwhelmed by the conservation we have been able to achieve...thank you!

 

Due to the pending flow reductions, there is the potential irrigation overdraft or other issues. To that end, the District has sent out a survey to collect some information on your irrigation needs. We will use this information if the need arises for an irrigation schedule.

 

To have your needs included in the schedule, it is imperative that you return your survey as soon as possible. Hopefully, we will not need to implement an irrigation schedule. However with the regulatory agencies watching us intently, the District feels that it is better to be prepared in advance.

 

There has been a lot of chatter in the District about the demise of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Feasibility Study for increasing the elevation of the Coyote Dam. Last Thursday, USACE staff had less than encouraging news at an Inland Water and Power Commssion oversight committee meeting about new USACE policies and their impact on the proposed project.

 

That same IWPC committee met with USACE management today to confirm the direction given by USACE staff. As it turns out, there is major disconnect at the USACE between staff and management regarding this new policy and its implications on the project. As a result the Feasibility Study is still a go, but on somewhat wobbly legs. We will be meeting with the USACE staff and management concurrently prior to the next IWPC meeting to reach a definitive resolution to the issue. Expect this issue to be fully discussed at the next IWPC meeting.

 

I have been working very hard in my own life to lead by example. As a result, we were able to reduce our water use at home by 72 percent in May and 59 percent in June compared to last year. Since the interior of our home is well equipped for water conservation, we were able to achieve these savings simply by cutting off irrigation of our turf.

 

In an effort to make some of these savings permanent, I recently removed my entire front lawn and landscaped with low water use plants. My new front yard will use 70 percent less water than the turf it replaced while looking much nicer than my old lawn. I would like to thank Lee Howard, Richard Shoemaker, and John Thomas for their assistance with this project. Look for a full story in the UDJ.

 

If you have your own conservation story to tell please share it.

 

The District's next regularly scheduled Board meeting for July 13 has been cancelled. We will reschedule if the need arises.#

 

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_12747461

 

 

Pumps bring water, but for how long?

Efforts to protect Delta smelt cut water by 660,000 acre feet last year

Capital Press-7/2/09

By Cecilia Parsons

 

Federal government pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta started moving much-needed irrigation water to farms Wednesday, July 1, but questions remain about how long those pumps will continue running.

 

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told the audience of a town hall meeting in Fresno Sunday, June 28, that the Central Valley Project pumps would run through the end of the year, facilitating 70 approved water transfers totaling 245,000 acre feet. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Mike Connor, who also spoke at the town hall meeting, said the agency is working to make the most of this year's water supplies.

 

However, there was some skepticism.

 

West side farmer Bob Diedrich said growers already knew the pumps would resume moving water south on July 1, but questioned how long they would remain on considering the latest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency biological opinion on salmon recovery.

 

That biological opinion has focused all fish recovery efforts on reducing the amount of pumping from the Delta.

 

It is unknown how much the opinion would affect pumping, said Sarah Woolf of Westlands Water District. The Bureau of Reclamation told the district they would phase in the restrictions, Woolf said, but there is no guarantee the pumps will remain on.

 

Efforts to protect the Delta smelt resulted in water delivery cutbacks of 660,000 acre feet in 2008, and another 480,000 acre feet so far this year. It is feared the federal plan to protect salmon could take another 500,000 acre feet.

 

Water deliveries from the Delta are normally increased starting July 1 because there is less concern with effects on Delta smelt from July through December, said Paul Fujitani, chief of water operations for the Bureau of Reclamation.

 

Pumping can continue through the end of the year unless water volume is affected by smaller releases from Shasta and Folsom reservoirs, he explained. Those upstream operations have to manage water temperatures for migrating salmon and if not enough water is flowing into the Delta that could affect exports.

 

Fujitani said the exported water would go directly to agriculture users. In August some would be diverted to the San Luis Reservoir.

 

Two short-term actions are expediting a project that would construct gates in front of the Delta pumps to keep the protected Delta smelt from being sucked in and a canal inter-tie project to facilitate water movement.

 

The "two gates" project is gaining momentum, but still lacks federal funding for its estimated $25 million cost. There is no estimate how much more water would flow to water users south of the Delta with the gates in place.

 

It is possible, Salazar said at the town hall meeting, that environmental restrictions could curtail Delta water deliveries again next year.

 

"That's why we need to speed up these projects," he said.

 

Salazar said such projects, would keep farms and communities viable until longer-term Delta solutions can be achieved.

 

Still, Salazar's visit to the valley was a positive note for agriculture, Woolf said. "It was critical that he was there and understands the problem."

 

Salazar didn't deliver on a request from Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, and Pacific Legal Foundation that he invoke a federal "god squad' with authority to ease federal environmental restrictions. Taking that route, Salazar said, would be an "easy political solution and it would be admitting failure."

 

Instead, he promised that significant progress would be made on the most contentious water supply and environmental issues by the end of 2009.

 

Radanovich drew cheers from the crowd when he told Salazar "the time for talk is over. We need action now."

 

"He didn't really say anything we didn't already know," said Woolf of Salazar's announcements at the town hall meeting on the Fresno State campus. The district was also disappointed there was no announcement of the amount of additional water it would expect later in the season. Woolf said they were told it would be August before the announcement.

 

"That is a setback for us in our planning effort," she said.

 

The latest biological opinion released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency recently laid more blame on state and federal pumps for declines in salmon and steelhead. An average annual cutback of 330,000 acre feet of was ordered.

 

Farm interests were incensed that pumps were blamed for declines in fish populations and let Salazar know.

 

Tom Nassif, president of Western Growers, told Salazar that confidence in the federal agencies and their species protection rules could not be restored without a science-based and fact based review of the biological opinions.

 

Tom Birmingham, general manager for Westlands Water District claimed that neither biological opinion used to restrict water deliveries is in full compliance with the Endangered Species Act. Westlands joined recently with 29 other public water agencies in arguing that the National Marine Fisheries Service should have prepared an environmental impact report before adopting a salmon recovery plan that would send thousands of acre feet of Delta water out to the ocean.

 

Birmingham asked Salazar that the Obama administration fully enforce the ESA noting, "science doesn't always mean the environmental side wins."#

 

http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=616&ArticleID=52548&TM=48831.07

 

 

MMWD looks at plan for longer drought

Marin Independent Journal-7/2/09

By Mark Prado

 

Faced with the prospect of less frequent rainstorms due to global warming, Marin Municipal Water District planners are considering a more conservative approach to drought projections.

Marin is at the mercy of rain, which provides much of the drinking water for the county via seven reservoirs, most on Mount Tamalpais.

 

In anticipation of climate change affecting water supply, some Bay Area water agencies are planning for longer droughts than previously anticipated.

 

Now Marin's largest water district - which serves 90,000 people between San Rafael and Sausalito - may do the same. Traditionally, the district has planned for a two-year drought, like the one that hit in 1976-77, as it determined how best to weather such an event.

 

But now the district is looking at considering a third year of drought as part of its plans. Such a drought would occur about once in 200 years, using current hydrologic statistics, water officials said.

 

"Across the Bay Area and in the West agencies are looking at what the effect of climate change might be," said Paul Helliker, general manage of the water district. "They are planning for the worst possible conditions."

 

Climate change studies indicate more dry years for the county, although when it does rain it would come with more intensity, causing flooding, Helliker said.

 

The water board discussed the issue at a meeting Wednesday, but pushed off any decisions pending further discussion next month.

 

James Fryer, who has authored a report showing how the district could save water to meet future demands, believes a new drought scenario is a way for the district to push desalination on the public.

 

"The item appears to be an attempt to obligate the MMWD board to approve a desalination project based on layers of speculation and misapplication of projected weather change analyses that are also highly speculative," said Fryer, a former Marin Municipal Water District conservation coordinator.

 

"The consensus among most weather change experts indicates generally wetter conditions, more intense runoff events, and more flooding problems as the most likely impact of climate change for the Marin area."#

 

http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_12744285?IADID=Search-www.marinij.com-www.marinij.com

 

 

Water main break in West Napa

Napa Valley Register-7/3/09

By Bill Kisliuk  

 

A Napa city water main broke in west Napa Thursday afternoon at about 5 p.m., disrupting service for residential customers and causing minor damage to two apartments.

 

The break happened on the 2500 block of Laurel Street, near where Laurel meets Kilburn Avenue and Freeway Drive. Laurel was closed between Freeway Drive and Avon Street while crews worked to repair the damage.

 

Napa Fire Department Public Information Officer Patrick Young said that a 12-inch water main broke in front of the large apartment complexes on Laurel, knocking out service to about 500 residents, bringing about one inch of water into two apartments and causing water pressure to drop around the neighborhood.

 

No one was hurt as a result of the break.

 

The water that erupted into the street was brown, which Young attributed to sediment in the line that had been stirred up when the main broke. He said the water contained no sewage.

 

As of 8 p.m. Young estimated it would take until midnight to make the repairs and fully restore service.

City workers knocked on doors in the apartment complex Friday evening, warning people not to use the water for drinking at least until morning.#

 

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2009/07/03/news/local/doc4a4d521e38bcf485608636.txt

 

 

 

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DWR’s California Water News is distributed to California Department of Water Resources management and staff,  for information purposes, by the DWR Public Affairs Office. For reader’s services, including new subscriptions, temporary cancellations and address changes, please use the online page: http://listhost2.water.ca.gov/mailman/listinfo/water_news . DWR operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs. Inclusion of materials is not to be construed as an endorsement of any programs, projects, or viewpoints by the Department or the State of California.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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