Department of Water Resources
California Water News
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
August 12, 2009
5. Agencies, Programs, People –
American Water Works says RWE will sell shares
S.F. Chronicle
MMWD plans to replace water tank in East San Rafael with bigger one
Marin Independent Journal
Meter detectives help city detect leaks
Vallejo Times-Herald
County backs out of pumping station responsibilities
Turlock Journal
$140M back into local pockets
Manteca Bulletin
Imperial Irrigation District water advisory board may expand scope
Imperial Valley Press
Conserving water also cuts greenhouse gases
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
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American Water Works says RWE will sell shares
S.F. Chronicle-8/11/09
American Water Works Co. said Tuesday its largest stockholder will sell 30 million shares in the company.
RWE AG will get all the proceeds from the sale. The German firm will sell 30 million shares, and options to buy as many as 4.5 million more shares. American Water Works had 174.6 million shares on the market as of Wednesday, and RWE owned about 47 percent of those shares.
If RWE sells 34.5 million shares, it will own about 27 percent of American Water Works. In aftermarket trading, shares of the company fell $1.32, or 7 percent, to $18.90 from $20.22.#
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/08/11/financial/f143032D55.DTL
MMWD plans to replace water tank in East San Rafael with bigger one
Marin Independent Journal-8/11/09
By Jennifer Upshaw
A 50,000-gallon water tank that sits on a hill above East San Rafael's Glenwood neighborhood will be swapped out for one that is bigger and stronger.
The Marin Municipal Water District is planning an estimated $550,000 upgrade by replacing the old tank, built in the 1960s out of redwood, with a 90,000-gallon version made of bolted steel. A public meeting on the project is set for 7 p.m. Aug. 18 at Glenwood School at 25 W. Castlewood Drive.
"The tanks are located in residential communities so we just like to let people know what we're up to," district spokeswoman Libby Pischel said. "If they do have concerns, this is an opportunity to share them with us. We want to be a good neighbor and a good water-suppy provider."
The bigger tank will improve firefighting capability, district officials said. The bolted steel tank is expected to be more seismically sound. Overall, the new tank will better meet state and federal water quality regulations for water storage facilities, officials said.ÊÊ
Construction is set to start in October and is expected to take about five months. The project will be paid for from the MMWD's capital improvement program budget. Tank replacement projects are funded through water rates, district officials said. The district tries to replace at least two redwood tanks per year.
Sarah Gerke, a neighborhood resident out walking her dog Friday, said she thought the tank-replacement project was a good idea if done in an environmentally sensitive way and protects the water supply.
"I think if it's steel that's a good thing," she said. "As long as it's strong and durable - we need our water."#
http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_13037250
Meter detectives help city detect leaks
Vallejo Times-Herald-8/12/09
By Tony Burchyns
They may be knocking on your door if you're a top residential water user.
They're Solano County Water Agency interns -- and this summer they're on a mission.
If you agree to invite them over, they could help you save water and -- here's the hook -- save money.
Launched in June, the countywide conservation program aims to reach 1,260 homes in Solano County by year's end.
So far, more than 660 households have participated, including about 200 combined in Vallejo and Benicia.
The pitch is simple: Leaks can occur anywhere, and by finding and fixing them, people can save from $50 to $120 a year on their water bills, said Kristen Mahoney, one of the program's seven interns.
"We've had a great response so far," Mahoney said of the new Solano County Residential Water Use Survey Program. "We usually average about 20 surveys a day."
The program targets the top 10 or 15 percent of residential water users in cities around the county.
Armando Cuaresma of Vallejo said he was surprised to get a letter informing him he fit that description.
"I was surprised to learn I was in the top 10 percent," said Cuaresma, whose bimonthly water bill last summer averaged $175 for a family of four.
Last Tuesday, Cuaresma had his home surveyed, and learned about a four-gallon-a-day leak caused by deteriorating rubber flappers in his toilet tanks.
"I'd recommend this to anyone," Cuaresma said. "Water is a commodity."
Modeled after programs elsewhere, the approach is new for Solano County. Fairfield has conducted a similar program for years, and other local cities such as Vallejo have offered water-saving tips, but usually only on request.
Here's how this proactive program works: Cities turn over lists of their top 10 or 15 percent of residential water users. The Solano County Water Agency sends letters to everyone on the list. Responders get a visit from trained interns who inspect sprinklers, faucets, showers and water meters for leaks.
The interns provide homeowners with a two-year water history, which helps them identify usage trends.
Then, using the home's water meter, they check for leaks.
"Most people don't know meters have a leak detector," Mahoney said. "If there's a leak, we will isolate different areas of the home (to find it), and give recommendations on how to fix it."
At Cuaresma's house, leaky toilets were discovered by using blue dye, which traced the path of the leaks.
Other times, the program's interns will find underground leaks in irrigation systems.
"If you're paying for this water, it's not really useful to you in the street," said Siobhan McRee, an environmental toxicology student at the University of California, Davis who's involved in the program. "We want to make sure all the water is going where it should go."
Most sprinkler systems use between 10 and 15 gallons of water per minute if operating at maximum efficiency. By clocking the water meter when sprinklers are turned on, the interns can measure the volume of water through the system.
"A lot of times, what happens is there is a leak in their irrigation system, so people end up using a lot more water than they need," said Andrew Florendo, a resource specialist with the Solano County Water Agency.
Water softeners and auto-refill triggers for swimming pools can also produce unwanted flows, if equipment is not working properly.
"A broken water softener in the garage can waste hundreds of gallons a month," McRee said.
The interns also hand out low-flow faucet aerators and shower heads, and let homeowners know about rebate programs for water-saving toilets and washing machines.
"The program's worked really well," said Roger Judy, a water education program manager for Vallejo, who compiled the city's list of top water users.
"Many aren't aware they are in the top 10 percent," Judy said. "It's not just people with gigantic lawns. It varies."
In the past, Vallejo did surveys on a modest scale, when people complained about getting high bills, said Pam Sahin, the city's water conservation coordinator.
"But this program is on a much bigger scale," Sahin said. "And if everything goes well, we intend to do it again next summer."
With Vallejo's water rates scheduled to increase yearly for the next five years, Sahin said the save-water-to-save-money approach could become even more popular.
In July, rates rose to $2.25 per 100 cubic feet. But after 2,200 cubic feet, the rate bumps up to $4.05.
In five years, the scheduled cost will be $2.88 and $5.40 per 100 cubic feet, before and after 2,200 cubic feet, respectively.
One cubic foot equals about 7.48 gallons.
Vallejo households using close to 15,000 gallons a month, according to the city's billing records, got notices this summer about the water-savings program.
Residential Water Surveys
Total surveys performed this year in Solano County: 660
Goal by Dec. 31: 1,260
Average gallons per day saved at each home: 112
Money savings: Depending on what city and service area, anywhere from $50 to $120 a year #
County backs out of pumping station responsibilities
Turlock Journal-8/11/09
By Alex Cantatore
The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to terminate a joint powers authority to maintain Gomes Lake on Tuesday morning, despite the pleas of local reclamation district presidents.
More than 10,000 acres of land within local Reclamation Districts are protected from flooding by the Gomes Lake pumping station and associated infrastructure.
“What (County Public Works Director) Matt Machado wants is an easy way out, and there is no easy way out in this case,” said Joe Sallaberry, President of Reclamation 2063. “If we have a flood and we don’t have the county’s help we are in big trouble.”
In the 1950s and 1960s levees were constructed along the San Joaquin River to provide flood protection to parcels near the river. The levees affected natural drainage, blocking flows of storm water and irrigation tail water and causing less routine but potentially more devastating flooding.
The Gomes Lake facility works to prevent that flooding by pumping backed up water through the levees and into the San Joaquin River.
“If we don’t have the money to take care of those pumps, what is going to happen?” Sallaberry said. “How many miles, how many houses are going to be underwater?”
As originally drafted in 1972, The JPA that maintains Gomes Lake included the Turlock Irrigation District, a 41 percent stakeholder; the City of Turlock, responsible for 30 percent; Stanislaus County at 19 percent; and Reclamation Districts 2063 and 2091 at 8 and 2 percents, respectively.
In 2001, county public works proposed and drafted a revised JPA in which they took a leadership role, assuming 45 percent of costs. The City of Turlock paid 35 percent, TID 20 percent, and both Reclamation Districts paid nothing.
The State of California, which owns the facility, pays nothing to maintain it.
“It’s obvious that the percentage split is completely unfair to the county,” said Supervisor Bill O’Brien. “But it sounds to me (like) there’s another reason to terminate this JPA, to get the state to the table.”
The JPA spent $404,000 between 2005 and 2007, on once per decade pump maintenance costs for Gomes Lake. The County’s share was $181,897.
A touch more maintenance is still required, including chopping down some brush on a nearby levee, but annual operating expenses alone have traditionally ranged from $14,000 to $35,000, with the county’s share varying from $6,000 to $16,000.
The JPA will continue to exist for 12 months following the Board of Supervisors’ decision to terminate the Gomes Lake JPA. The involved parties are expected to begin negotiations immediately on a new JPA.
The County believes that, should an Area of Benefit Study be conducted as part of the negotiations, the Reclamation Districts would foot a greater proportion of the bill. The Reclamation Districts, however, say they cannot afford to fund the Gomes Lake facility in addition to their other pumping operations.
If the Reclamation Districts do not agree to a new JPA the State, which owns the facility, could apply direct land assessments on properties receiving benefits.
“We need to get to a point where the payment is more equitable,” Supervisor Jeff Grover said. “I’m sure no one wants to pay more than what they are, but that’s not a reality in the world we live in.”#
http://www.turlockjournal.com/news/article/777/
$140M back into local pockets
SSJID ready to make its case to acquire PG&E system
Manteca Bulletin-8/12/09
By Dennis Wyatt
South San Joaquin Irrigation District wants to put more than $140 million back into the pockets of residents, farmers, businessmen, and government agencies in Manteca, Ripon, and Escalon over the next 10 years.
The SSJID game plan to accomplish that goal is to purchase the PG&E retail electrical system that now provides power within the boundaries of the district’s 72,000 acres.
“It (lower electrical rates) is critical in this community that is now struggling with a sluggish economy,” noted SSJID General Manager Jeff Shields Tuesday after the district’s governing board established a hearing on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 9 a.m. on its plan to seek approval from the San Joaquin Local Agency Formation Commission to enter the retail power business.
The application will delineate how the district has positioned itself to reduce power rates across the board by 15 percent. That represents an initial $11.6 million annual savings throughout the district in 2011. It also will outline the district’s healthy financial status which includes $61 million in undistributed reserves as well as touch on the experience it has gained in more than 50 years of flawless generation and delivery of wholesale electricity from its Tri-Dam Project on the Stanislaus River.
The LAFCO application also will outline how the district plans to provide electrical servcie plus listing how it meets the requirements required by law to take the step of adding retail power servcie to its repertoire of agricultural water, treated municipal water, and power generation services.
The SSJID move comes at the same time PG&E is moving forward with yet another series of rate increases of 10 percent in the coming year. PG&E is also operating with a protected profit margin of 11.45 percent as the acceptable return on its equity as authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
“We are uniquely positioned among (California) water district as we have the resources to do this,” Shields said.
The SSJID’s plan also calls for improving the financial situation of the cities it serves plus substantially expand assistance programs to help people reduce their monthly energy bills.
Currently PG&E provides Manteca with a 2 percent franchise fee on its total electrical sales within the city limits that accounted for $495,000 in general fund receipts for the city in the fiscal year that ended June 30. The SSJID is committing to give the city a 2.5 percent franchise fee. If SSJID and not PG&E was the retail provider in Manteca last fiscal year, it would have meant $99,000 more or a total of $594,000. That is roughly the salary and benefits of a public safety employee for one year.
The city also would benefit from the 15 percent reduction in electrical bills. With electrical costs to run the city pushing $2 million a year, that would mean a $300,000 in annual savings. The bottom line is the City of Manteca would be $399,000 better off financially every year with SSJID as compared to PG&E.
Similar savings would be experienced by Manteca Unified School District, the City of Ripon, City of Escalon. Ripon Unified School District, and Escalon Unified School District.
Even the SSJID would be money ahead. By supplying its own power to run the various district irrigation pumps, the district would save $40,000 a year.
In addition, SSJID is working with Manteca to potentially eliminate much of its expensive power load for the wastewater treatment plant. Unlike PG&E that caps solar plants at a million megawatts, SSJID would have no problem with a Manteca system that could wipe out the $1.2 million annual power bill to run the wastewater treatment plant.
PG&E commits 2.85 percent of its revenue to energy savings and assistance program. SSJID’s plan is to provide 4 percent.
SSJID intends to pay competitive wages for all of the retail power workers they will need to run the system. They have had a half century of working with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers through Tri-Dam.
Forward thinking since the time the district was formed a century ago coupled with prudent financial management has allowed it to not only have an adequate supply of water for current and future needs but to offer the lowest agricultural water rates in the state. The district hasn’t had a rate increase in over 20 years.
The district also stepped forward to get the cities of Manteca, Tracy, Lathrop, and Escalon to work together to build a state-of-the-art water treatment facility that is helping supply the municipalities with clean water and reduce reliance on dropping underground aquifers that are more and more susceptible to salt water intrusion.#
http://www.mantecabulletin.com/news/article/6082/
Imperial Irrigation District water advisory board may expand scope
Imperial Valley Press-8/11/09
By Megan Glenn
An Imperial Irrigation District advisory board may expand its scope from farmers-only to include all water customers, following a heated debate between board members and members of the agriculture community.
“You don’t have to be a farmer to be interested in water issues,” said IID Director Stella Mendoza.
But Linsey Dale, the executive director of the Imperial County Farm Bureau, said farmers make up 97 percent of IID’s water sales, and have a range of water issues that are specific to their industry.
“We cannot have people that don’t understand ag issues voting on them,” she said.
The Water Conservation Advisory Board was originally created in 1979 as a way for farmers to work with the IID to develop irrigation efficiency programs following criticisms that the IID was not doing enough to conserve water. It is advisory only, and the IID Board of Directors is in no way required to follow any recommendation the WCAB passes.
But the request for an expanded scope concerned Director John Pierre Menvielle, who requested that this item be brought before the board for discussion. Menvielle said that the WCAB recently elected a new chairman, Ronnie Leimgruber, who is suing the IID over water issues. Menvielle said the two issues combined gave him “grave concerns.”
“I look at this as kind of a takeover,” Menvielle said.
Currently, half of the 15 WCAB members are suing the district over a variety of water issues. Most of the suits are over the quantification settlement agreement, which the IID signed in 2003 to transfer water out of its allotment from the Colorado River to other Southern California water agencies. The WCAB does discuss issues that are related to the QSA during its meetings.
Director Mike Abatti, who appointed his brother, Jimmy Abatti, another participant in lawsuits against the IID, to the WCAB, stressed the advisory role of the board.
“It’s important to hear input from all sides,” Mike Abatti said.
Director Anthony Sanchez said that since directors appoint WCAB members, then they can remove that appointment if they feel it’s necessary. But IID board President Jim Hanks said that replacing members was easier said than done, as he has a vacancy in one of his three appointment slots that he’s struggled to fill.
“It’s a very demanding position,” Hanks said. “It’s not like anybody can just serve.”
Mark McBroom, a vice president for the Imperial County Farm Bureau, WCAB member and participant in lawsuits against the district, argued that if the IID were to exclude everyone who was involved in litigation, it would have a narrow pool to pick from.
McBroom said that when the IID was looking to validate the Quantification Settlement Agreement it started litigation with Imperial County. He said this meant that all residents could technically be considered part of the QSA lawsuits that other farmers are actively involved in.
“If we can keep personalities out of these issues and stick to the issues,” then the WCAB can do its job, McBroom said.
While Tuesday was filled solely with discussion, Mendoza did request that the issue be brought back for action within 30 days.#
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2009/08/12/local_news/news03.txt
Conserving water also cuts greenhouse gases
Santa Rosa Press Democrat-8/11/09
By Mike Reilly
Opinion
Recent Press Demorat reports document that peak water demand in our region exceeds current delivery capability. This underscores the importance of everyone becoming more involved in water conservation.
There is one other compelling reason for water conservation that has not been discussed. Saving water also means significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
First, some simple but dramatic facts about water and energy use and greenhouse gas:
* Twenty percent of all energy consumed in California is used moving water from one place to another.
* Each household annually uses approximately 110,000 gallons of water (about one-third of an acre foot).
* The energy to supply and dispose of one acre foot of water takes about 775 kilowatt-hours. (A kilowatt hour is equal to using a 1,000-watt appliance for one hour.)
* About one pound of carbon dioxide is produced for each killowatt-hour.
There are simple solutions available to all of us that would significantly reduce water use and greenhouse gas emissions at the same time without crimping our lifestyles. Households can save money, water, energy and reduce greenhouse gas levels in three relatively easy steps.
First, install 1.5 gallon-per-minute showerheads; second, install one gallon or less per flush toilets; and third, install high efficiency tier 3, front-loading washing machines. Installing these water efficient appliances could reduce a single household’s water use by 25,000 gallons per year, plummeting energy use by 1,600 kilowatt-hours, thus reducing 553 pounds of greenhouse gas - a savings of almost 25 percent over current household averages.
For every acre-foot of water that is delivered by the Sonoma County Water Agency to cities and districts, approximately 700 pounds of carbon dioxide is released into our atmosphere. This includes the energy needed to pump, treat and transport water to our homes and also for the collection, treatment and disposal of our wastewater.
The clock is ticking. In 2005, all nine cities, the county and the water agency adopted the Sonoma County Climate Protection Campaign, committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2015. We now have fewer that six years to meet that commitment.
Some of these improvements are relatively inexpensive. Others are less so.
Residents can get efficient showerheads for free at any local water supplier or at the Sonoma County Water Agency. The Sonoma County Energy Independence Program offers low-interest loans to pay for these energy saving appliances and other household energy improvements through the county.
More can and must be done. Cities and water districts can’t rest on their laurels. Local governments, rather than clamoring for more and more water, should institute smart public programs to help their customers directly install water efficient appliances. They must put their money where there mouths are and provide rebate incentives and/or direct installation options.
This is much like the free water smart home audits being performed by several cities which have been wildly successful in educating homeowners about how to find and repair leaks or the clunkers for cash federal program that has gone through the roof.
As our elected officials strategize on how to recover from the current recession and the devastation to local budgets, they should realize that by helping their customers install water efficient appliances, they are protecting their future supply of water, energy and our planet — all of which are priceless. They are also making good on their greenhouse gas reduction commitments made in 2005.
As they say, strike while the iron is hot — and that iron is steaming hot right now with a drought, recession and global warming.
Six years will fly by.
The cities and water districts can make a huge difference by offering incentives now so that every household can take advantage of this opportunity to save water while reducing their carbon footprint.
Mike Reilly is a former Sonoma County Supervisor and director of the Water Agency.#
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090812/OPINION/908119902
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