Department of Water Resources
California Water News
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
August 27, 2009
5. Agencies, Programs, People –
Well tests under way at potential Crystal Geyser site in Orland
Chico Enterprise-Record
City says water conservation didn't cause rate hike
Ukiah Daily Journal
Calaveras water board vote results in
Stockton Record
Feds announce contract for Navajo water project
San Jose Mercury News
TEMECULA: Rancho Water incumbents re-elected
North County Times
The Political Landscape: Planner jumps ship for water
Costa Mesa Pilot
Duoyuan Global Water appoints Ping Wei to board
Oakland Tribune
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Well tests under way at potential Crystal Geyser site in Orland
Chico Enterprise-Record-8/27/09
An engineering company that specializes in environmental and water issues began testing wells Tuesday on and near a proposed bottled-water company site in Orland.
Malcom Pirnie Inc., out of Emeryville, is conducting the aquifer testing on behalf of Crystal Geyser Water Co. of Calistoga, which may locate a bottled-water plant and warehouse in Orland at the corner of County Roads 200 and N.
Crystal Geyser's location to Orland depends on the results of the tests. Engineers have estimated if the project goes through, Crystal Geyser will draw 160 acre-feet of water yearly from the local aquifer to produce sparkling mineral water.
The testing is to determine the long-term sustainability of the test well and assess impacts a commercial supply well might have on nearby, privately owned wells and in Orland, according to a press release from Malcolm Pirnie.
The testing will be done on the main test well and two monitoring wells at the proposed lot and 11 neighboring wells located 500 feet, 1,000 feet, 2,000 feet and farther from the test site.
The entire testing period will last about four weeks and includes monitoring of background conditions prior to pumping, approximately five to seven days of pumping, and an additional week of well recovery monitoring.
Up to 400 gallons per minute will be pumped from the well.
Malcolm Pirnie spokesman Alec Van Ryan said water levels will be measured electronically. The equipment will measure water levels every
minute and feed the data to a computer.
"It's a significant amount of data," Van Ryan said. "It's very important. We want to make sure it's done correctly.
The water pumped during the test is being diverted to an Orland Unit Water Users Association ditch behind the property for local irrigation.
After the data are compiled and reviewed, results of the testing will be forwarded to appropriate agencies, including the city of Orland, and copies will be available at City Hall.
Van Ryan said he is in the process of setting up a 24-hour telephone information line that people will be able to call to get answers to their questions about the testing and the proposed bottled water plant.#
http://www.chicoer.com/advertise/ci_13213012?IADID=Search-www.chicoer.com-www.chicoer.com
City says water conservation didn't cause rate hike
Ukiah Daily Journal-8/26/09
By Tiffany Revelle
Ukiah residents have reacted strongly to the idea that the Ukiah City Council would raise water rates in response to successful conservation efforts.
Public Works Director Tim Eriksen told the council last week the city's water usage was down 35 percent from 2004, most likely as a result of conservation efforts.
Eriksen said Tuesday that contrary to popular belief, conservation efforts aren't driving the need for a rate hike.
"We're not raising our rates to pay for the conservation," Eriksen said. "The conservation is certainly changing our revenue picture, but we knew it would. If you sell less water, certainly you have less revenue."
Eriksen said the city hired a consultant in the spring to develop a five-year water rate schedule. The last five-year schedule was first implemented in 2004, and did not take water conservation into account. The last of five planned increases happened in November, according to Eriksen.
He said the city is developing another five-year rate schedule to keep rate hikes gradual, and that the increase would have happened regardless of conservation efforts. The new rates would not be designed to make up for the city's lost revenue, according to Eriksen.
"The average sales will be used to project new rates, but it will be a minor factor," he said.
Councilman Doug Crane said he didn't have the numbers to look at during a phone interview Tuesday.
"My sense is that it's more than minor, because the amount of the reduction in revenue is pretty substantial," Crane said.
The Daily Journal has requested information about the city of Ukiah Water Department's monthly revenue since January, but the information wasn't available as of press time.
Alan Jamison, water treatment plant supervisor at the city, said part of what is driving the need for a rate increase is the cost of meeting changing state and federal water quality regulations, which he said were largely "unfunded mandates."
Crane called the situation "the perfect storm," with the state's mandate that the city find water sources other than underflow from the Russian River, the city's response of drilling two new wells, the consequent rise of the cost of doing business and the drop in revenue because of necessary conservation.
"For the last several years the council has said we want to institute water conservation, we want to set a good example and reduce water consumption. I said that's a laudable goal, but unless we modify our rates to reflect the reduced sales, there won't be enough income to support and maintain our system," Crane said.
He continued, "This is not something new. This is an adjustment that is perhaps not as timely as it should have been. The longer we defer making hard decisions, the harder they impact people when they finally come about."#
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_13205678?source=rss_viewed
Calaveras water board vote results in
Stockton Record-8/27/09
By Dana M. Nichols
Challenger Dennis Dooley of Angels Camp defeated incumbent Ed Rich of Copperopolis in this week's election for the District 4 seat on the Calaveras County Water District board of directors.
Dooley took 48 percent of the vote, Rich had 30 percent, and Diane Gray had 21 percent.
Dooley's victory was the only upset among three seats in contention. Board President Bob Dean of Mountain Ranch easily defeated challenger Jorge A. Contreras, 67 percent to 30 percent, in District 2; and Don Stump won, 56 percent to 43 percent, in a contest with Dan Emerson for an open seat in District 3. Bertha Underhill, the incumbent in District 3, did not run for re-election.
"I am very pleased. I did not expect to win by that big of a margin," Dooley said Wednesday while attending a special meeting of the CCWD board.
The election was conducted by mail-in ballot. Voters had until 5 p.m. Tuesday to return the ballots, which were counted Tuesday night. CCWD is Calaveras County's largest utility district, providing water and sewer services to customers in a far-flung region that includes Copperopolis, Arnold, West Point and a large part of Valley Springs.
Acrimony among board members was an issue during the election. Board member Jeff Davidson, who represents Valley Springs, has often been at odds with Rich in recent months and made it no secret that he encouraged Gray, executive director of the Calaveras County Chamber of Commerce, to run against Rich.
Davidson did not recruit Dooley, but Davidson said he was pleased with the election's result.
"I think the board dynamic may change a little bit," Davidson said. "Things just got too personal. There's really no place for that here."
Rich could not be reached for comment Wednesday. A staffer at his olive oil company in Copperopolis said Rich's calendar indicated he would attend a special CCWD board meeting Wednesday morning, but Rich was not present at that meeting.
Dean, who also sometimes clashes with Davidson and who was an ally to Rich, said he believes the board will continue efforts he favors to perfect water rights and cooperate with other water agencies.
"I feel confident we'll be able to move in the same direction we have," Dean said.
Dean will be sworn in for his second term and Stump and Dooley seated as newly elected members in December.
Both Stump and Dooley have backgrounds in utility service. Stump is a former Pacific Gas and Electric Co. hydroelectric project maintenance worker, and Dooley's quarter-century of experience in the field included working for East Bay Municipal Utility District at Pardee Reservoir and five years with California Rural Water Association.
Dooley also served on the CCWD board from 1989 to 1997.#
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090827/A_NEWS/908270319
Feds announce contract for Navajo water project
San Jose Mercury News-8/27/09
An Arizona company has won a $13 million contract to build two pumping plants in northwestern New Mexico as part of the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project.
The pumping plants are key to the project, which will provide water for the Navajo Nation's farming enterprise.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the contract with Archer Western Contractors, Ltd., on Wednesday.
The Phoenix firm will construct the pumping plants over a two-year period. The contract covers construction of the buildings, electronic operating controls and installation of the pumps.
The pumping plants are scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2011.#
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13214367?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
TEMECULA: Rancho Water incumbents re-elected
North County Times-8/26/09
All four incumbents competing in Tuesday's vote-by-mail election were re-elected to the Rancho California Water District's board of directors, according to final election results released Wednesday by the county registrar of voters office.
The election, open only to the 40,000 Temecula-area households serviced by the district, was a tight contest with 432 votes separating the five candidates running for the four available seats.
The fifth-place finisher, Edward "Bob" Lemons, ended up with 5,279 votes, 40 votes behind Director Stephen Corona, the fourth-place finisher who received 5,319 votes.
The top vote getter was Director John Hoagland, who snared 5,711 votes.
Director William Plummer ended up with 5,540 votes for second place and Director Ben Drake netted 5,514 votes for third place.
Lemons, the district's former director of engineering, said the results showed that most of the community is pretty satisfied with what they have.
"I was happy to be considered to be honest with you," he said.
While he was narrowly defeated, Lemons, 59, said he does not envision running again in the near future. He said he supports the three board members who will see their seats come up for election in the next cycle.
If one of those board members steps aside, however, Lemons said he would consider another run.
County election officials said the results posted on the Registrar's Web site on Wednesday were certified and final as of 2:45 p.m. The updated numbers included ballots dropped off in Riverside on Tuesday.#
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/temecula/article_68b7169b-5ca5-5535-9e2c-26f79ae7a323.html
The Political Landscape: Planner jumps ship for water
Costa Mesa Pilot-8/26/09
By Alan Blank and Brianna Bailey
Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner Jim Fisler has resigned his seat on the commission to join the Mesa Consolidated Water District Board of Directors.
He will replace former board member Paul Shoenberger, who resigned his post to become the district’s general manager.
Fisler, a Realtor by trade, will attend his first water board meeting Sept. 8.
Meanwhile, the city will have to replace him on the Planning Commission.
Fisler was first appointed to the Planning Commission by the City Council in 2004 after serving two years on the Parks and Recreation Commission.
Fisler also ran for a position on the Costa Mesa Sanitary District in 2008, but did not get elected.
There is about a year and a half left in his current term on the Planning Commission. The council is expected to talk about filling the position at its meeting Tuesday.
The water board is usually an elected position. Fisler’s appointment to the board only lasts through 2010, when he plans to run for election.
Asked why he chose to make the switch, Fisler said, “The main reason is that delivery of water at competitive rates is going to be quite a challenge going forward.”#
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2009/08/27/politics/dpt-landscape082709.txt
Duoyuan Global Water appoints Ping Wei to board
Oakland Tribune-8/26/09
Duoyuan Global Water Inc., a Chinese supplier of water treatment equipment, said Wednesday it appointed Ping Wei to its board of directors.
Wei, who will chair the board's audit committee, is the chief financial officer of China Distance Education Holdings Ltd.
She replaces Christopher P. Holbert, who resigned from the board Wednesday to become CEO of Asian Financial Inc., an affiliate of Duoyuan.
Duoyuan shares closed down 72 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $29.11.#
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