ACWANews
ACWA’s Member Newsletter • www.acwa.com
Prop. 218-Compliant Water Conservation Pricing Explored Water pricing models that encourage conservation and comply with Proposition 218 were explored in depth during a daylong workshop July 8 hosted by the State Water Resources Control Board.
Water conservation experts from the California Department of Water Resources dispense watersaving tips at the California State Fair, which runs through July 26. Top: An outdoor garden exhibit offers tips on landscape irrigation efficiency, including ways to keep shade-giving trees alive during drought. Bottom: Fairgoers explore hands-on demonstrations of ways to save water in kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms at DWR’s exhibit in the counties building.
The workshop examined ways water agencies can adopt best practices and avoid potential pitfalls when developing water conservation pricing. State officials also discussed how the state may help local agencies develop effective pricing structures by establishing an information clearinghouse where agencies report effective rate structure models. “We know that an effective price signal is one of the most effective
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Gov. Brown Signs Budget Trailer Bill on Mandatory Water System Consolidations
Gov. Jerry Brown’s April 1 emergency executive order on the drought directed the State Water Board to promote water conservation pricing mechanisms. Members of the State Water Board listened to several panels of speakers who talked about the state and local approaches to water financing. Lester Snow, executive director of the California Water Foundation, stressed that the price of water should reflect the cost of investments in water infrastructure. Snow also advocated for a statewide water fee, as well as reform of Prop. 218, Conservation Continued on page 7
California WaterFix: Revised Delta Project Opens for Public Comment Period California WaterFix — a proposed water conveyance improvement plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta — is now available for public review and comment. On July 9, state and federal officials jointly released draft environmental documents that analyze California WaterFix – the Delta conveyance plan preferred by state and
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ways to achieve conservation,” said State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus.
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Drought News Digest
federal officials also known as alternative 4a of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources have identified California WaterFix as the new preferred alternative. The project, which is a scaledback version of the original BDCP, consists of a water WaterFix Continued on page 11
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Save Our Water Ramps Up With Viral Campaign
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ACWA News is a publication of the Association of California Water Agencies Periodicals postage paid at Sacramento, CA. POSTMASTER: send address changes and subscription requests to ACWA News, 910 K Street, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95814-3514 Phone: 916.441.4545 Website: acwa.com Executive Director Timothy Quinn Deputy Executive Director for External Affairs and Operations Jennifer Persike Director of Communications Lisa Lien-Mager Communications Specialist Pamela Martineau Communications Specialist Emily Allshouse Graphic Designer Katherine Causland Outreach and Social Media Specialist Marie Meade Copyright 2015. All Rights Reserved. Call ACWA for Permission to Reprint. USPS 334030
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President’s Column • John Coleman
Amid Drought, Some Good News on Headwaters With many of California’s forests facing extreme wildfire risk this summer, ACWA and other Western water interests are cheering passage of H.R. 2647, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015, by the House of Representatives earlier this month. The legislation would provide critical tools to help safeguard California’s future water supply reliability and water quality. ACWA’s Headwaters Framework identifies the need for such tools as well as collaboration to help prevent highintensity fires that have a devastating impact on watersheds and cause millions of dollars in damage to habitat, reservoirs and facilities. Another welcome development is the announcement of $130 million in federal drought assistance specifically for
restoration of California’s headwaters and other key waterways. The funding — and a new designation of several headwaters areas as federal Resilient Lands and Waters sites — is part of a new federal initiative focused on restoring these critical areas to make them more resilient to climate change. ACWA continues to work with partners such as the California Forest Watershed Alliance and the National Water Resources Association to elevate the importance of these and other initiatives. The ongoing drought makes it more important than ever to focus attention on headwaters areas that play a critical role in the reliability and quality of our water supply.
Executive Director’s Column • Timothy Quinn
Long-Term Actions Still Key to Water Future Droughts tend to be an all-consuming experience for water managers, and this year for the vast majority of Californians. But even as we navigate historic challenges this year, we can’t lose focus on the longerterm actions that must move forward to meet our 21st century water needs. Delta conveyance improvements are a prime example. As noted in the Statewide Water Action Plan (SWAP) adopted by the ACWA Board of Directors in September 2013 and formally endorsed by more than 100 ACWA member agencies, a Delta solution that includes conveyance improvements is a critical component of a broader set of actions to address water supply reliability and ecosystem health in California. The recent release of revised environmental documents for the proposed conveyance project now known as California WaterFix is an important
step forward for a Delta solution. Long-term Delta conveyance improvements are needed to enhance the value of surface and groundwater storage investments, better management of our headwaters areas and development of a more efficient and effective water market — all of which are key elements of ACWA’s SWAP. It’s hard to imagine right now, but this drought will end at some point. And we will emerge from it as we have from others — with new approaches and new ideas for more effectively managing California water. If we stay focused on long-term actions and investments now, those new approaches will help us assemble the “all-of-the-above” strategy we need for the future.
Brown Signs Budget Trailer Bill on Mandatory Consolidation of Public Water Systems; New Clean-Up Legislation Pending During the last week of June, Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration moved to advance several substantive public policy changes through budget trailer bills. One of the most significant changes authorized the State Water Resources Control Board to mandate consolidations of public water systems under certain circumstances. Though the Administration had been examining the consolidation issue for some time, many in the water community were surprised when language granting consolidation authority to the State Water Board emerged on the Department of Finance’s website and later was added to SB 88, a budget trailer bill dealing with drought.
Coalition Formed When the budget trailer bill language on consolidation first surfaced, ACWA quickly formed and led a local government coalition opposing the concept and supporting the current process that leaves responsibility and authority for consolidations at the local level under the guidance of local agency formation commissions. ACWA was joined by several statewide associations in opposing SB 88, including the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, the California Municipal Utilities Association, the California Special Districts Association, Rural County Representatives of California, the California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions, and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies.
Despite strong opposition and hundreds of letters from ACWA member agencies, SB 88 passed on a strict party-line vote on both the Senate and Assembly floors on June 19. The governor signed the bill into law on June 24. The State Water Board is expected to utilize its new consolidation authority when a public water system, a small water system serving a disadvantaged unincorporated community or a mutual water system serving a disadvantaged community consistently fails to provide an adequate supply of safe drinking water. The State Water Board may order that system to consolidate with, or receive an extension of service from, another public water system (receiving system). Under the language of SB 88, the receiving system would not be held liable for claims resulting from the subsumed system’s actions prior to the consolidation or extension of service. Before ordering consolidation or extension of service, the State Water Board must notify the systems, consult with various entities, and allow time to negotiate another means of providing an adequate supply of safe drinking water. The State Water Board also must make certain findings prior to mandating consolidation or extension of service.
Clean-Up Bill Emerges Due to the last-minute nature of the budget trailer bill process, SB 88 contained some unintended errors and omissions. Two weeks after the bill was signed, the Administration announced that it was supporting a clean-up bill,
SB 552 by Sen. Lois Wolk (D-Davis). The Wolk bill would include mobile home parks in incorporated or unincorporated areas in the definition of “disadvantaged community,” expressly limit the authority of the State Water Board to order consolidation or extension of service only to a disadvantaged community and not the entire state, eliminate a public meeting for potentially-subsumed domestic well owners and limit their ability to obtain grant funding if they do not provide written consent, and authorize the Public Utilities Commission and the State Water Board to determine the fair market value of a subsumed system and prohibit fees or charges over and above the costs of consolidating the subsumed water system. SB 552 is expected to undergo additional amendments during the final weeks before the Legislature adjourns on Sept. 11. For more information on this issue, please contact Director of State Relations Wendy Ridderbusch at wendyr@acwa.com or (916) 4414545.
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Drought News Digest Curtailments Issued for Senior Water Right Holders on Merced and Upper San Joaquin Rivers Two weeks after announcing curtailments for 114 senior water right holders in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River and Delta watersheds, the State Water Resources Control Board on June 26 extended curtailments on the Merced River to senior water rights dating back to 1858 and to all pre1914 appropriative rights on the Upper San Joaquin River watersheds. The latest curtailments affect 11 senior water right holders. Also on June 26, the State Water Board announced a curtailment notice was being issued to the City of San Francisco for four appropriative water rights it holds on the Tuolumne River dating back to 1903.
New Landscapes to Use Less Water Under Model Ordinance The California Water Commission on July 15 adopted a revised model landscape ordinance that requires yards and commercial landscapes installed in California after Dec. 1 to use up to a third less water on average. The new model ordinance, developed by the California Department of Water Resources, limits lawns in commercial settings to uses such as recreation and public assembly, requires efficient sprinkler nozzles in landscape irrigation systems and, with some exceptions, bans turf in street medians and parkways.
Statewide Water Use Declined 29% in May Statewide residential water use declined nearly 29% in May, the steepest drop to date since urban water suppliers began reporting monthly conservation levels last year.
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The May figures, released by the State Water Board on July 1, are an improvement over the 13.6% reduction achieved statewide in April. The monthly figures reflect same-month water use comparisons of 2015 to 2013. The State Water Board soon will release the conservation figures for June, the first month of mandatory water cutbacks.
Impacts of Temperature Control Plan for Salmon Explored A proposed temperature management plan for the Sacramento River could result in historically low levels in two key reservoirs and less water than expected this summer for cities and farms south of the Delta, members of the State Water Board were told at a daylong workshop on June 24. The temperature management plan, developed by state and federal officials to preserve cool water behind Shasta Dam to protect winter-run Chinook salmon, was criticized harshly at the workshop by several growers and representatives from irrigation districts and water districts south of the Delta who said the proposed plan threatens crops already planted and could unravel water transfer deals. Under the plan, flows from Folsom reservoir would increase this summer to ensure healthy salinity levels in the Delta. Officials estimate Folsom Lake could drop to 120,000 acre-feet by the end of September. Lake Oroville also could drop to historic-low levels last seen in the fall of 1977, officials said.
State Water Board Reissues Water Supply Notices Following Court Ruling In response to a recent court ruling, the State Water Board on July 15 partially
rescinded and reissued water supply availability notices to more than 4,600 holders of junior and senior water rights to clarify that while previous notices were only advisory, diverting water where none is legally available could result in significant penalties. In response to Sacramento Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne W. L. Chang’s ruling July 10 calling some of the State Water Board’s notices in violation of due process, the State Water Board reissued some notices to clarify that there is no order to stop taking water, but diversions when there is no available water for groups of diverters under their priority of rights are unauthorized and subject to enforcement. On July 10, Chang granted a temporary restraining order against the State Water Board barring it from “taking any action” to enforce curtailment notices sent to West Side Irrigation District, Central Delta Water Agency, South Delta Water Agency and Woods Irrigation Company.
Water Contractors File Complaint Alleging Unlawful Diversions The State Water Contractors filed a complaint June 16 requesting the State Water Board take action to protect State Water Project releases from “substantial, unlawful” diversions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by water diverters south of the San Joaquin River. Specifically, the SWC is seeking an order requiring diverters south of the San Joaquin River to stop diverting in excess of their water rights.
ACWA-Sponsored Bills: SB 385 Moves to Floor, AB 291 Now 2-Year Bill SB 385 (Hueso), an ACWA-sponsored bill that would aid compliance with the state’s chromium-6 drinking water standard, cleared its final policy committee in the Assembly on July 15 and now moves to the Assembly floor. AB 291 (Medina), which seeks to streamline California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) noticing requirements for multicounty water projects, will continue as a two-year bill.
Support Letters Requested for SB 385 SB 385 would establish a carefully monitored process for public water systems to work toward and achieve compliance with the chromium-6 standard. The measure would authorize the State Water Resources Control Board to grant a limited period of time for affected water systems to work toward achieving compliance without being deemed in violation as long as strict safeguards are met.
ACWA thanks member agencies that have engaged on this bill and encourages them to continue advocating for the measure by sending letters to their Assembly members supporting SB 385 and requesting an “aye” vote on the floor. A copy of your final letter should also be sent to ACWA by fax at (916) 325-4927 or emailed to mariem@acwa.com. For questions on SB 385, please contact ACWA Deputy Executive Director for Government Relations Cindy Tuck at cindyt@awca.com or (916) 441-4545.
Work Continues on AB 291 ACWA continues to work with the author’s office to address opposition to AB 291, including concerns raised by several environmental groups about the potential shortening of the timeframe for physical posting of notifications at the county level. As amended June 10, AB 291 would require local agencies to submit a
CEQA notice of determination to the Office of Planning and Research for posting on the CEQAnet website. Local agencies also would be required to file the notice with the county clerk in their home county and send a copy by certified mail to each county affected by the water project. The provisions are aimed at reducing confusion and administrative burdens under current CEQA notification requirements for projects, such as water transfers, that can address pressing water needs during droughts. ACWA thanks the many member agencies that are supporting AB 291 and will provide updates on significant developments. ACWA also appreciates the author for his efforts to date and future work on this issue. For questions about AB 291, please contact ACWA Legislative Advocate Whitnie Wiley at whitniew@acwa. com.
DWR Releases Draft Regulations on Groundwater Basin Boundaries The California Department of Water Resources on July 17 opened the public comment period on proposed draft emergency regulations that will outline the process local agencies must follow when requesting modifications to existing boundaries of groundwater basins and subbasins. The draft basin boundary regulations also identify the methodology and criteria that will be applied by DWR when reviewing and approving the modification requests. In general, local agencies will be required to address all of the following: •
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How to assess the likelihood that the proposed basin can be sustainably managed. How to assess whether the proposed basin would limit the sustainable management of adjacent basins.
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How to assess whether there is a history of sustainable management of groundwater levels in the proposed basin.
DWR is required to adopt emergency regulations by Jan. 1, 2016. ACWA remains actively engaged on the issue. ACWA member agencies with questions may contact ACWA Special Projects Manager David Bolland at daveb@acwa.com. The public comment period on the draft regulations began July 17 and will close Sept. 4. For copies of the draft regulations, additional information, and to learn more specifics on how to comment visit DWR’s Basin Boundary Revision webpage at water.ca.gov/groundwater/ sgm/basin_boundaries.cfm.
Copies of the draft regulations can be received by mail by contacting Lauren Bisnett at (916) 653-7564 or Lauren. Bisnett@water.ca.gov. DWR will be hosting three required public meetings for public comment on the draft regulations. Information on the meetings is available online. Comments must be received electronically or postmarked by Sept. 4. Email to: SGMPS@water.ca.gov Mail to: California Department of Water Resources, Attn: Sustainable Groundwater Management Section, P.O. Box 942836, Sacramento, CA 94236. For more information regarding the draft basin boundary revision regulations please contact Steven Springhorn at (916) 651-9273 or Steven.Springhorn@water.ca.gov.
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ACWA-Led Advocacy on Drinking Water Program Funding Proposal Results in Safeguards for State Water Board Fee Authority Gov. Jerry Brown signed a budget trailer bill on June 24 that included significant changes to state law governing how the state’s Drinking Water Program (DWP) is funded. After advocacy from an ACWA-led coalition, the version of SB 83 signed into law was much improved relative to the Brown Administration’s original proposal.
Background on Drinking Water Fees Early in 2015, the State Water Resources Control Board signaled that the existing fee structure was not generating sufficient revenue to support the program. The Legislature had established many years back a feefor-service approach for large public water systems (systems that serve 1,000 or more service connections). The Legislature set a cap on the total amount of these fees for fiscal year 2001-’02 at $7 million. At the same time, the Legislature enacted a 5% cap on annual increases to those fees. Had the Department of Public Health (DPH) increased those fees each year while it was implementing the DWP, the cap for FY 2014-’15 for large systems would have been over $13 million. By April of this year, the projected expenditures for large water systems for FY 2014-’15 was $15.4 million, with the difference between fee revenue and expenditures being covered by federal funding. Several factors contributed to the level of expenditures, including increases in employee compensation packages.
Administration Proposal Earlier this year, the Administration proposed to repeal many of the existing fee provisions – including the fee-forservice approach, the cap on the total
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After negotiations at the Capitol, the final version of the language, which is now state law, includes important safeguards for the fee structure. In short, SB 83 does the following: 1) Maintains a fee-for-service approach for large water systems for FY 2015-’16; 2) Includes a cap on large system fees for FY 2015-’16 set at $15,938,000; 3) Requires the State Water Board to develop a new fee schedule for FY 2016-’17 through the full APA rulemaking process; 4) Sets a cap on total funds received for state operations program costs (covering both large and small systems) for FY 2016-’17 at $30,450,000; 5) Sets a 5% cap on annual increases in those total funds received; and 6) Requires setting of the fee schedule in subsequent fiscal years by emergency regulation.
fees for large systems and the cap on annual increases. The Administration also proposed adopting changes to the fee schedule through the emergency regulation process, as opposed to through the full Administrative Procedures Act (APA) process, which is more transparent and allows stakeholders an increased opportunity to provide input.
draft alternative proposal. ACWA then further developed that proposal jointly with the California Municipal Utilities Association and the California Water Association. The three associations worked together with ACWA members as a coalition in the budget process to express concerns about the budget trailer bill proposal and to advance the alternative proposal.
ACWA’s State Legislative Committee had strong concerns with the proposal because of the proposed removal of all the safeguards for the fee authority. The committee did, however, agree with the Administration that the DWP is a critical program that needs adequate funding.
In significant part, the alternative proposal recommended:
Alternative Proposal ACWA requested a background paper from the State Water Board so it could provide constructive input on the issue. After receiving and reviewing the background paper provided by the State Water Board, the State Legislative Committee developed a
3) Using the full APA rulemaking process for the adoption of the fee schedule.
1) Maintaining a fee-for-service approach for large water systems; 2) Increasing the cap on large water systems to $15. 4 million for FY 2015-’16; and
ACWA will continue to work with the State Water Board as it considers how to change the DWP fee structure for FY 2016-’17.
Delta-Mendota Canal Delivers Water Uphill Nine temporary pumps are reversing the flow of a 62-mile stretch of the Delta-Mendota Canal in order to send water back upstream to several water districts and the City of Tracy. Completed in early July, the innovative reverse flow project was deemed necessary due to the state’s ongoing drought and the canal’s compromised ability to deliver sufficient water. The Delta-Mendota Canal, part of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project operated by the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, typically carries water southeasterly from the C.W. “Bill” Jones Pumping Plant down to the Mendota Pool, located at the confluence of the San Joaquin River and the north fork of the Kings River. On a temporary basis, the new pumps will convey water from San Luis Reservoir to upstream water districts facing water shortages. The SLDMWA developed the DeltaMendota Canal Reverse Flow Project with cooperation from the Bureau after it became clear that drought conditions, coupled with pumping restrictions and reduced releases from Shasta Dam, would leave the CVP contractors without enough water.
“These emergency pumping plants were designed and installed within three weeks of inception by the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority staff in order to meet the emergency needs of providing water to our Water Contractors,” said Frances Mizuno, assistant executive director of SLDMWA. “Everyone pulled together and made it all happen. I am so impressed and proud of our staff.” Officials at agencies receiving the water also were grateful. “This was an amazingly efficient effort by all involved to roll up our sleeves and solve a last minute challenge that had the potential to cause hundreds of millions of dollars worth of loss not only to the current years’ local agricultural economy, but to the long-term investments of our landowners in permanent crops,” said Anthea Hansen, general manager for Del Puerto Water District. According to project documents, water released from the San Luis Reservoir into O’Neill Forebay will be pumped in reverse and delivered to CVP contractors in the north, while the upper portion of the canal will continue to operate normally. Byron-Bethany Irrigation District, Banta-Carbona Irrigation District, City of Tracy, Del Puerto Water
District, Patterson Irrigation District, West Stanislaus Irrigation District, San Luis Water District, and Central California Irrigation District will all receive water from the reverse flow project. The SLDMWA estimates the project will cost the participating water districts $500,000 per month just to power the pumps and keep the reverse flow moving a total of 18 feet uphill. Peter Rietkerk, general manager for Patterson Irrigation District, praised the project. “Our district and other Upper DMC districts with San Joaquin River water rights were threatened with curtailments this year and relying on stored water from the San Luis Reservoir was the only contingency plan available to meet critical crop demands,” said Rietkerk. .
Conservation Continued from page 1
which he called a “hindrance to aggressive tiered pricing.” Ellen Hanak, senior fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California, said local agencies could do a better job of communicating to customers the fixed costs of producing water. She added that the recent San Juan Capistrano decision that deemed that city’s tiered water pricing structure in violation of Prop. 218 — while concisely written in some areas — gave the impression that water pricing is a “precise science” when it is in fact somewhat complicated. Hanak also said it would be helpful for
the state to collect data on the types of pricing structures water agencies have adopted so there would be a clearinghouse of information. David Bolland, special projects manager for ACWA, testified that every local water agency has unique circumstances that come into play in its pricing of water. “This is about location, location, location…,” said Bolland. “This is about the local agencies doing this work and setting the price signals.” ACWA submitted a comment letter to the State Water Board in advance of the workshop outlining suggested roles the
board may take to help agencies adopt effective pricing structures. Those roles include acting as a clearinghouse for information, public education and funding. Stacy Taylor, communications manager at Mesa Water District, described how her district uses a volumetric approach to pricing, where each unit of water is priced the same. resource Comment letter: www.acwa.com/ sites/default/files/post/2015/07/ acwa-comments_-swrcb-conservationpricing-7-1-15_final.pdf
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Save Our Water Ramps up with Viral Campaign, New PSAs, Media Placement With a $4 million infusion from the 2015-’16 state budget, Save Our Water’s summer campaign is in full swing with media buys in targeted areas, a viral social media campaign and a new public service announcement featuring San Francisco Giants star Sergio Romo.
during this historic drought. The partnership is highlighting tips at www.saveourwater.com/tree for both residents and agencies on how to water and care for trees so they survive the drought and thrive.
The phased summer campaign, which is tailored to support urban water conservation in communities with the highest state-mandated reduction targets, emphasizes the need for immediate reductions in water use with a sharp focus on outdoor irrigation and limiting irrigation of ornamental turf.
Toyota dealerships in Northern California also are partnering with Save Our Water to help conserve water in the state through a new program called, “The Wash Can Wait.” The program offers customers the opportunity to opt out of a complimentary car wash following a service appointment, with a goal of saving 20 million gallons of water.
A key feature is the new “Saving Together” viral campaign, designed to encourage Californians to shoot a selfie and share their water saving efforts on social media and encourage their friends to do the same, using the hashtag #KeepSavingCA. “Saving Together” already is gaining traction with actors such as Amelia Rose Blair from MTV and is prominently featured on the Save Our Water website at saveourwater.com.
In early June, ACWA on behalf of Save Our Water worked with FM3 Research to conduct a survey on attitudes around water conservation. The poll of 800 California voters was targeted to those living in water districts with the highest water-reduction targets as identified by the State Water Resources Control Board. The data is being used to frame messaging for the statewide Save Our Water program.
Other components of the summer campaign include digital media, smallscale billboards, theatre ads, and radio spots in targeted areas.
The survey results clearly show that concern about the drought and awareness of the new water-reduction targets is nearly universal, even in areas with the highest conservation targets. Overwhelming majorities are both familiar with California’s mandatory reduction targets (91%) and support the state’s overall package of water conservation requirements (82%). Three-quarters (76%) report having reduced their water use during the current drought. However, a majority (51%) reports that, realistically, they have already done what they can and are unlikely to further reduce their water use this summer.
Save Our Water also has rolled out a full-scale Spanish-language website and has ramped up Spanish-language marketing to account for 25% of its total media buy. The 30-second PSA with the Giants’ Romo is airing on Comcast SportsNet in Northern California. A shorter 15-second version will air in AT&T Park, and Spanish-language versions are in development. Visit www. saveourwater.com to see the new PSA, produced in partnership with the Bay Area Council. Save Our Water also has partnered with California ReLeaf, a statewide urban forest nonprofit, to raise awareness of the importance of proper tree care 8 • ACWANEWS
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Survey highlights are available in the Save Our Water toolkit at saveourwater. com/toolkit/. ACWA members are encouraged to utilize the all-new Save Our Water toolkit and other resources available on
Save Our Water’s new “Saving Together” viral campaign is designed to encourage Californians to shoot a selfie and share their water saving efforts on social media and ask their friends to do the same using the hashtag #KeepSavingCalifornia. Top: A CalFire captain shares his conservation selfie. Middle: Actress Amelia Rose Blair encourages her friends and followers to conserve in her selfie. Bottom: San Francisco Giants Pitcher Sergio Romo pitches the notion of water conservation in a public service announcement.
saveourwater.com, and to partner with the program on local media buys. ACWA manages the Save Our Water program in partnership with the California Department of Water Resources.
Water Technology Summit Explores New Tools for Water Future Leaders from a wide array of industries — including government, water, agriculture and technology — gathered in Sacramento July 10 for a water technology summit that explored how technological advances will help improve California’s water future across all sectors. The Water Technology & California Drought Summit, co-sponsored by ACWA and Imagine H2O, examined in depth how advanced technology can provide efficiencies in the water field. Several speakers cautioned, however, that technology alone cannot solve the state’s water challenges. It must be coupled with new thinking, collaboration, better data tracking and reliable financing mechanisms. More than 300 people attended the conference. Assembly Member Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) delivered the opening address and called for new ways of thinking about water statewide and noted the need for increased recycled water use and rainwater capture to expand the state’s water supplies. “We have the tools to be smarter about how we plan for and use water,” Levine said. “While none of us can make it rain, I’m confident that the minds in this room can make the most of every drop of water.”
Drought Brings Heightened Awareness California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird said the drought has heightened awareness around water. “Californians are paying attention… this doesn’t often happen in water,” said Laird. He added that we have an opportunity to make real progress using the technology available to us. Laird moderated discussions that highlighted agricultural water challenges and innovations, residential water conservation progress since the 1970s, and emerg-
ing technologies that will continue to advance water efficiency in all sectors. Several speakers focused on water efficiencies in agriculture. California Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross said the agricultural sector “needs education, training, technical assistance and incentives to better apply technology.” Leaders from local water districts also spoke about how their districts are embracing technology. East Bay Municipal Utility District General Manager Alexander Coate said his district is “applying technology day-to-day across our operations…from leak detection to customer water use budgets.” He noted the importance of technologies such as automated metering infrastructure and geographic information systems and satellite imagery to assess water use.
Implementing New Technologies Following the opening session, summit attendees broke out into “deep-dive” sessions to discuss topics ranging from desalination and water recycling to the water-energy nexus. During the afternoon plenary session Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) delivered opening remarks. Inland Empire Utilities Agency General Manager Joseph Grindstaff participated in a panel that explored some of the current challenges to expanding current water technologies and how to prioritize and implement new technologies. “There are opportunities all around us to do things better,” said Grindstaff. Jennifer West, managing director of WateReuse California, talked about how “public acceptance is critical to the advancement of recycled water.” “Potable reuse projects are increasing and will continue to do so as the public becomes more accepting,” said West.
California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird talks about the public’s heightened awareness of water during the Water Technology & The California Drought Summit July 10 in Sacramento. Laird said the increased public focus on water is an opportunity for progress. Other speakers talked of water use efficiencies and technologies that will help the state with water challenges now and in the future.
Water a Priority for Brown Administration Wade Crowfoot, deputy cabinet secretary and senior advisor in the office of Gov. Jerry Brown, told attendees that “water is a priority for the Brown Administration for the long haul.” “We need a strategic plan to better advance technology as it is applied to water...,” Crowfoot added. “Technology is a piece of the overall water picture but is not the solution alone. We lag behind on how best to scale up technology in a decentralized water system. The state has a role in this and we need to continue the discussion around what’s next.” At the start of the summit, Crowfoot thanked ACWA for being a “critical partner of local government” during the drought.
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Federal Issues: Drought, Headwaters Bills Advance in Congress The U.S. House of Representatives on July 16 approved a bill designed to alleviate water shortages brought on by California’s ongoing drought. The bill, H.R. 2898, the Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015, sponsored by Rep. David Valadao (R21), passed the House by a vote of 245176, largely along party lines, with Rep. Jim Costa (D-16) the sole Democratic member of California’s Congressional delegation voting to support it. The bill is designed to increase water flows by mandating the volume of water that the federal government is obligated to push through the Central Valley Project. By so doing, the bill is confronting head on suggestions that the Obama Administration has been prioritizing the water needs of endangered fish populations over those of humans. Water flows could only be restricted to assist fish populations if there were concerns about extinction and all other measures had been exhausted. “Congress cannot make it rain but we can enact policies that expand our water infrastructure, allow for more water conveyance, and utilize legitimate science to ensure a reliable water supply for farmers and families,” Valadao said in a statement. Democrats pushed back against such criticism, portraying it as opportunism on the part of Republicans, who have long held reform of the Endangered Species Act in their sights. “This bill is a major disappointment to me, to the people of California, and to the 90% of Americans who think the Endangered Species Act is worth preserving,” Rep. Raúl Grijalva (DAriz.), ranking member on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement. The measure now heads to the Senate, where passage is uncertain. The White
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House has threatened to veto the measure.
Headwaters-Wildfire Legislation Advancing The House on July 9 also passed ACWA- supported H.R. 2647, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015. Upon passage, ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn said, “With many of the state’s headwaters increasingly at risk of wildfires, action is needed to help safeguard California’s future water supply reliability and water quality. This legislation provides vital tools for us to actively manage our forests and protect our precious water supply.” H.R. 2647 would work within existing federal authorities to expedite forest management activities in the National Forest System and Bureau of Land Management to promote healthy, resilient forests and prevent high intensity wildfires. It incentivizes collaboration with the private sector for management activities and would end the practice of transferring money out of vital U.S. Forest Service programs and services in order to fund wildfire suppression costs. On the Senate side, on July 16 the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining held a hearing on S. 1691, the National Forest Ecosystem Improvement Act of 2015. The hearing explored many issues, including how to increase the pace and scale of forest restoration, fix “fire borrowing” where the Forest Service raids other funds to pay for fire suppression, whether arbitration could help reduce frivolous lawsuits and best ways to streamline permitting under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). To help provide input to the legislative process, ACWA is participating in the California Forest Watershed Alliance (CAFWA) along with the California
Farm Bureau Federation, California Forestry Association, Rural County Representatives of California and The Nature Conservancy, California Chapter. ACWA member Steve LaMar, president of the Irvine Ranch Water District, is chairing ACWA’s Headwaters Task Force.
House Appropriation Process Stalls Debate over displaying the confederate flag on federal lands has slowed the passage of House appropriations bills. On July 9 the House Interior and Environment 2016 Appropriations bill, H.R. 2822, was pulled from the House floor after almost a full week of debate. Southern Republicans refused to vote for the bill unless an amendment was added clarifying that the confederate flag could still be displayed on certain federal lands. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) chose to remove the bill from floor consideration rather than have his party vote on this amendment. House leadership also chose to delay the other appropriations bills scheduled to come to the floor this month because they too could have been a vehicle for more debates over the confederate flag. The House had been on pace to complete all 12 appropriation bills before the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. However it now appears likely that there will need to be a continuing resolution to keep the government funded in the next fiscal year.
California Headwaters Designated Resilient Lands and Waters Citing the far-reaching benefits of healthy watersheds and headwaters — particularly during drought — top-ranking state and federal officials on June 25 announced a new $150 million federal drought relief package that includes $130 million for the restoration of California’s headwaters and other key waterways. Officials also announced details of the recent designation of California’s headwaters, North-Central Coast and Russian River Watershed as federal Resilient Lands and Waters sites, making them part of a federal initiative focused on conserving and restoring designated land and waters to make them more resilient to climate change.
The announcement was welcomed by ACWA, which has prioritized watershed restoration and issued a Headwaters Framework policy document in March that outlines recommendations aimed at preserving California’s source waters. ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn applauded the funding and the designation. “At a time when California is working to manage every drop of water amid record drought, we are pleased to see California’s headwaters areas receive this designation as part of the Resilient Lands and Waters initiative,” Quinn said. “This designation will elevate the
importance of collaborative partnerships and help leverage opportunities to landscape-scale demonstrations and research. Given the severity of the drought and the risk of more destructive wildlife this summer, we must focus attention on these upstream headwaters areas and pursue strategies that can improve water quality and supply conditions now.” The relief package — in addition to its watershed and headwaters restoration funds — also includes $13.7 million to assist agricultural producers with water infrastructure support as well as $6.3 million for emergency drinking water assistance in rural communities.
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conveyance facility with three new intakes on the Sacramento River and dual tunnels to convey water to existing state and federal pumping plants. The environmental impact report and environmental impact statement recirculated July 9 analyze only the portions of the BDCP that have been altered significantly since the original environmental review period closed last summer. The initial description of California WaterFix was first released in April. In a media call July 13, DWR Director Mark Cowin called California WaterFix a “very realistic, science-driven and achievable approach” for fixing the Bay Delta. “The status quo in the Delta is not sustainable and ultimately not good for California,” said Cowin. “We would be remiss if we didn’t try to fix the system.” Cowin said the project is a critical step in improving water reliability throughout the state. It also is a key piece of the Gov. Jerry Brown’s California Water Action Plan, a statewide template for water improvements.
The footprint for the Bay Delta project has shrunk by 50% since 2013 and now allows for gravity-driven flow of water, which eliminates the need for additional power lines. The project’s habitat restoration also has been separated out into a second project known as California EcoRestore. California EcoRestore accelerates restoration of 30,000 acres of Delta habitat over the next five years to protect native Delta fish and wildlife species. Under the new preferred alternative, state and federal agencies are not seeking a 50-year permit to operate the project. Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said in a statement that release of the new documents marked the last planning milestone before a final plan will be produced for MWD and other agencies to consider. “Metropolitan and other public water agencies have invested nearly a quarterbillion dollars in this process because California simply had no other plan to reliably deliver water to two-thirds of California and to restore the Delta,” said Kightlinger.
Maureen Stapleton, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, said her agency is committed to a Bay-Delta solution and will review the new set of documents and likely provide formal comment. “The future of the Bay-Delta is important to all Californians, as is the strategy that the state adopts to address the Bay-Delta’s many costly and complex environmental and water supply challenges,” Stapleton said in a statement. Two public meetings have been scheduled to provide more information. • Sacramento: Tuesday, July 28 from 3 – 7 p.m. at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel • Walnut Grove: Wednesday, July 29 from 3 – 7 p.m. at the Jean Harvie Senior and Community Center Written comments may also been submitted by mail or email until August 31. For more information please visit baydeltaconservationplan. com/2015PublicReview.aspx.
july 24, 2015 • 11
ACWA Seeks Legislative Proposals for Second Half of Session ACWA is seeking legislative proposals from its member agencies for the second half of the 2015-’16 legislative session. The deadline to submit proposals is Friday, Sept. 4. The association’s State Legislative Committee will hear presentations and consider proposals at its meeting Oct. 23 in Sacramento. Agencies interested in submitting legislative proposals for ACWA to sponsor or support next year should take the following steps: •
•
•
Complete the Legislative Proposal Form available at www.acwa.com/sites/ default/files/news/statebudget-fees/2015/06/legproposal-form-2015.pdf . Obtain a resolution passed by the agency’s governing body in support of the proposal (or at a minimum have noticed by Sept. 5 for consideration of the resolution). Submit all proposals and resolutions by Sept. 4 to ACWA State Relations Assistant Katie Almand.
Agencies submitting proposals will be contacted by ACWA staff to schedule a presentation at the Oct. 23 committee meeting. Contact Katie Almand at katiea@ acwa.com with any questions or comments.
12 • ACWANEWS
Ballots Emailed for Region Board Elections; Voting Begins July 31 for 2016-’17 Term Sept. 30 is Deadline to Vote for Chairs, Vice Chairs, Board Members ACWA’s region ACWA Region nominating committees will Elections announce their recommended slates for ACWA’s 10 region boards by issuing an official ballot to all agency general managers and board presidents on July 31. Votes can be cast starting July 31 and must be returned by Sept. 30. The election results reflecting the new region boards for the 2016-’17 term will be announced Oct. 5. Each ballot will contain the recommended slate, candidates listed by position, and voting instructions. Each agency is entitled to cast only one vote for its Region Board and must have an authorized person sign the ballot before it’s returned to ACWA.
Your Agency Vote is Very Important: The region board members are elected to represent the issues, concerns and needs of your region. The region chair and vice chair will serve on ACWA’s Board of Directors for a two-year term of office. The newly elected chair will communicate the region board’s committee recommendations to the ACWA President for the 2016-’17 term. Either the chair or vice chair will serve on the ACWA Finance Committee. If you have any questions, contact Regional Affairs Representatives Katie Dahl (katied@ acwa.com) or Brandon Ida (brandoni@ acwa.com) or call (916) 441-4545. Additional region election information is available online at www.acwa.com/content/ region-elections.
DWR Announces Water and Energy Grants The California Department of Water Resources on June 24 announced its first round of grants using proceeds from California’s cap-and-trade program, awarding $28 million to 22 agencies to help fund projects designed to save water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. All told, the 25 funded projects will save an estimated 270,000 acre-feet of water and prevent the release of approximately 199,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Over 70% of the funding will provide benefits to disadvantaged communities, according to a press release from DWR. The projects are targeted for investments from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The projects include the installation of water meters for Merced residents that can be read and tracked by satellite, the
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design and installation of a smart irrigation control system for 18 Bakersfield parks and distribution of water conservation toolkits to households in the small Tulare County town of Alpaugh. The full list of awards is at www.water. ca.gov/waterenergygrant/awards.cfm. The projects are part of the California Climate Investments program, a broad multi-agency state initiative to invest proceeds from the cap-and-trade program in California projects that directly reduce greenhouse gases and provide additional benefits. An additional $9 million in local assistance funding was authorized as part of the 2015 drought legislation. DWR announced draft funding recommendations in March and considered public comments on those proposals.
ACWA Provides Drought Response Communications Toolkit In an effort to provide one-stop shopping to members seeking to ramp up public outreach on the drought and mandatory water restrictions, ACWA has prepared a Drought Response Toolkit with a broad array of in-depth and concise communications materials. The toolkit — with fact sheets, message points and other resources — may be modified by member agencies to fit local needs. Many of the suggested actions and resources in the toolkit were identified during a special webinar series sponsored by ACWA in May in partnership with the Governor’s Office, the State Water Resources Control Board and other organizations. The toolkit contains: • Drought Conditions and Statistics • Drought Response Action Checklist • Facts about California’s Water System • Myths About California’s Drought • Fast Facts on the Value of Water Service
• Message Points on Water Rate Increases • Message Points on New Development and Drought • 2015 Drought Resources List • State Water Board Emergency Conservation Regulations Infographic
Members may download the entire toolkit at www.acwa.com/ droughtresponsetoolkit. A member login is required. For questions or help in customizing the resources for your agency, please contact Lisa Lien-Mager, ACWA communications director, at (916) 441-4545.
ns EmErgEncy WatEr consErvation rEgulatio ProhibitEd for
EvEryonE
rEquirEd for
WatEr suPPliErs
• Using potable water to wash sidewalks & driveways
• Achieve designated conservation standard (4%-36%)
• Runoff when irrigating with potable water
• Notify customers about leaks that are within the customer’s control
• Using hoses with no shutoff nozzles to wash cars • Using potable water in decorative water features that do not recirculate the water
• Report on water use, compliance & enforcement
businEssEs
• Using outdoor irrigation during & 48 hours following measurable precipitation
rEquirEd for
• Using potable water to irrigate ornamental turf on public street medians
• Restaurants and other food service establishments can only serve water to customers on request
• Using potable water to irrigate landscapes of new homes & buildings inconsistent with new state requirements
• Hotels and motels must provide guests with the option of not having towels & linens laundered daily
ACWA’s Drought Response Gallery Adding Member-Agency “Drought Busters” Daily to its Online Bulletin Board With new agencies being added daily, ACWA’s unique new Drought Response Gallery showcases participating members and provides information about agency’s conservation activities including water restrictions, outreach, rebates, tools and more. Similar to a Pinterest-type online bulletin board, the gallery displays miniprofiles of agencies (or cards), agency logos, an agency image, a short text summary of conservation activities and icons indicating drought response actions in five categories. The categories are: restrictions and enforcements, outreach and education, rebates and incentives, new consumer tools and devices, and system/operational efficiencies. Joining the gallery is free, quick and easy. Interested members must com-
plete a short survey and ACWA staff will create your agency card using the information you provide. A confirmation email will be sent to let you know when your agency card is on display. With more than 65 participating agencies, ACWA is promoting the gallery on Twitter and dubbing participating agencies #DroughtBusters. ACWA members with Twitter accounts are encouraged to use the #DroughtBusters hashtag. The gallery is linked to ACWA’s Drought Spotlight page and can be accessed directly at droughtresponse.acwa.com. Questions about completing the survey or features of the Drought Response Gallery may be directed to
ACWA Communications Specialist Emily Allshouse at (916) 441-4545 or emilya@acwa.com.
resource Survey: outreach.acwa.com/site/ Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ ID=2780
july 24, 2015 • 13
Spotlight
Rancho California Water District Hits the Big 5-O; Embraces New Technology and Conservation District
facts Location Temecula
Number of Customers Served Over 37,000 residential customers and nearly 1,611 commercial users Water Source Groundwater, recycled water, and imported water from the Colorado River and Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta Notable Projects • Vail Lake acquisition and preservation • Water shortage contingency plan • Water use efficiency programs • MyWaterTracker Website www.ranchowater.com
Like a growing number of Baby Boomers across the nation, Rancho California Water District hits the Big 5-0 this year – Aug. 16 to be exact. For half a century, the water district headquartered in Temecula has evolved from serving a small, rural community to providing water to an expansive area of 156 square miles and a population of more than 147,000 people. As it shifts into its second half-century on the road to the 100-year mark, Rancho Water — as it calls itself in shorthand — is embracing new technology to help customers conserve water and plan expenses. The district also has adopted a diverse array of water supplies and approaches to meet the needs of a 21st century water provider. “As we plan for the future, challenges continue to face us. Whether they be supplying water to an increasing population, meeting stricter water quality regulations, dealing with drought conditions, or protecting our water resources, we are committed to meeting these challenges with the same dedication and sense of purpose as those who founded the district 50 years ago,” said Rancho California Water District Board of Directors President John Hoagland.
Small District Consolidates and Grows Rancho Water got its launch in 1965 when the developers of the Temecula/Rancho California community — Kaiser Corporation and Macco Realty Company — formed the Rancho California Water District over 41,000 acres in the eastern part of the community. The Santa Rosa Ranches Water District formed in 1968 to serve the westerly part of the community. In 1977, Rancho Water and Santa Rosa Ranches were consolidated into Rancho California Water District. Land areas in the district were designated as the Rancho District and the Santa Rosa Division. Rancho Water has made some key moves in working to secure its water supply. One such move was the 1978 acquisition of the Vail Dam and its associated water. The district uses water stored in Vail Lake to help recharge the groundwater basin that provides approximately 25% to 40% of its water supply. A healthy store of groundwater is one way the district secures a reliable water supply that is insulated from imported water price increases. The district also purchased the land around Vail Lake to allow it to better steward the resources of the watershed.
Since its formation in 1965, Rancho Water has grown from serving a small community to a population of more than 147,000 people. Left: The very first structure owned by what is now Rancho Water stood alone on the district’s rural land near Temecula in 1965. Right: Members of Rancho Water’s Board of Directors study a map of the district’s land in 1985.
Embracing Technology to Help Customers Plan and Conserve As California’s drought drags on, Rancho Water moved into stage 4a of its water contingency plan. Under the State Water Resources Control Board’s new water conservation mandates, it must cut its water usage by 36% over 2013 usage. To help achieve that goal, on July 1, the district launched MyWaterTracker, an online tool that allows customers to log onto their district accounts and track in near real-time their current water usage. Customers can then compare usage with a water budget for the month that is designed to help them achieve targeted cutbacks. The district also has implemented a bill estimator intended to help customers better understand their bills. The online tool allows customers to look at their possible future bills from the perspectives of proposed new rates, or stage 4a reductions, and get a sense of their costs under these scenarios. In addition to these new online tools, Rancho Water is going full throttle to embrace every method of incentivizing water conservation. It runs an expansive rebate program, offering
rebates for everything from turf removal to weather-based irrigation controllers to highefficiency toilets. The district also offers water use efficiency evaluations where a trained district staff will go to customers’ homes to check their meters and explain additional ways to cut water usage.
Anniversary Celebrations Rancho Water plans to honor its hitting the half-century mark with a special luncheon on its premises Aug. 13 at 11:30 a.m. Food trucks will be on hand and local elected officials, their staff and Rancho Water staff are expected to attend the brief presentation and event. The local Chamber of Commerce also is planning a mixer Aug. 9 in honor of the district’s 50th.
Top Left: Among the district’s many water conservation efforts is its aggressive public outreach touting its successful Cash for Grass program, advertised in this flyer. Top Right: The district acquired Vail Dam and the land surrounding Vail Lake — and its associated water — in 1978.
Matthew Stone, general manager of Rancho Water, said the 50th anniversary is a distinct moment in time to mark the accomplishments of the district. “Celebrating 50 years of providing high quality and reliable water service to our customers is a milestone Rancho California Water District takes pride in achieving,” said Stone.
“As we plan for the future, challenges continue to face us. ... we are committed to meeting these challenges with the same dedication and sense of purpose as those who founded the district 50 years ago.” — Rancho California Board of Directors President John Hoagland july 24, 2015 • 15
Capitol Hearing Explores Fish, Flows and Marijuana Grows California officials must crack down on illegal water diversions by marijuana growers to help save the state’s imperiled salmon and other fish that are already hit hard by ongoing drought, several speakers told a joint legislative committee on July 1.
high temperatures. Last year, 95% of the population of winter-run Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River died due to hot temperatures of water flows from Shasta, several speakers testified. Illegal diversions by pot growers are worsening the problem, speakers said.
Members of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture heard from several state officials who outlined the current precarious situation for salmon — particularly winter-run Chinook — and talked of steps being taken to stop illegal water diversions by pot growers. The hearing was titled “Fish, Flows and Marijuana Grows: Drought and Illegal Impacts to Fisheries.”
“The amount of water being diverted (by pot growers) is staggering,” added Assembly Member Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), vice chair of the committee.
In his opening remarks, Sen. Mike Maguire (D-Healdsburg), chair of the committee, said illegal diversions by pot growers have been “left unregulated for 20 years” and have hurt fish populations. The problem is particularly acute, given the ongoing drought, he added. “There are a minimum number of growers who disregard the environment for personal profit,” said Maguire. Salmon populations are particularly vulnerable to the lack of water and its
California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird detailed how the state’s water system is stressed hugely by the ongoing drought. Laird suggested to lawmakers that a “regulatory scheme” be developed to deal with the illegal diversion of water by pot growers – a practice that is stressing an already over-burdened system. “We recognize that this is a big issue that needs to be dealt with,” said Laird. Charlton Bonham, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said commercial fisheries are facing a potential “disaster” with the threats from inadequate flows. Some species of fish — particularly salmon — could
approach the “tipping point” of extinction. Bonham said that DFW received about 24,000 contacts in the past year from people reporting potentially illegal diversions from growers. Tom Howard, executive director of the State Water Resources Control Board, said his department is working with DFW on a program to address illegal diversions by growers. The program has four elements: a developing regulatory program, enforcement, education, and outreach. Howard said officials are having ongoing discussions with local county leaders and law enforcement officials about the problem. The State Water Board also has developed a draft permit program for the North Coast region that establishes regulations for growers and requires them to pay a fee for the administrative costs of the program. Other similar permit programs will follow, Howard said. John McManus, executive director of the Golden State Salmon Association, outlined the impacts of the loss of salmon to fisheries. Later in the hearing, law enforcement officials talked of their efforts to crack down on the illegal diversions.
Sept. 1 Deadline Nears for ACWA’s Popular Fall Awards The deadline for two of ACWA’s prestigious awards — Huell Howser’s Best In Blue Award and the ACWA Emissary Award — is Tuesday, Sept. 1. Both awards will be presented at ACWA’s Fall Conference & Exhibition in Indian Wells in December.
long-term public outreach, crisis communications, employee relations, self-promotion campaigns, customer education, legislative outreach and agency anniversary campaigns. School education programs are not eligible for this award.
The Huell Howser Best in Blue Award honors outstanding public water agency efforts in communicating with customers, legislators, media, the public and others. The award focuses on innovation and transparency, while taking agency’s budgets into consideration.
Established in 2006, the Emissary Award recognizes individual ACWA member volunteers who have made remarkable and visible contributions to the enhancement, protection or development of water resources in California by participating in, supporting and advancing ACWA’s goals.
A variety of communications programs are eligible, including short- and 16 • ACWANEWS
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Individuals may have demonstrated
leadership in the course of service on ACWA committees, conducted advocacy/outreach at the local, state or federal levels and committed time and expertise for the benefit of an ACWA program or issue. Guidelines and official entry forms are available at www.acwa.com.
resource
Best In Blue entry form – www.acwa. com/sites/default/files/page/2013/06/ best-blue-entry-form.pdf Emissary entry form – www.acwa.com/ sites/default/files/page/2010/02/ emissaryaward-form.pdf
Impressive Students Awarded 2015-’16 ACWA Scholarships Each year, ACWA awards several scholarships to deserving students pursuing water-related degrees and careers. This year, an outstanding group of students has been selected to receive assistance from ACWA in the 2015-’16 academic term. All recipients are selected based on academics, extracurricular activities, water-related work experience and a personal essay describing their interest and aspirations in water.
ACWA Scholarships ACWA awarded two $3,500 scholarships to students in water resources-related fields. The 2015’16 recipients are Holli Tripp and Gregory Borba. Tripp, a senior at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, is majoring in construction management, with a minor in water policy. She grew up in Auburn on 20 acres overlooking the American River and Folsom Lake, and attended Sierra College before transferring to Cal Poly in 2014. “My interest in water stems from the opportunity I had to intern at Placer County Water Agency,” said Tripp. “My supervisors really took the time to give me a wider view of the agency, the importance of our watershed and the diversity of responsibilities it takes to steward California water rights.” Borba is majoring in agricultural systems management at Cal Poly, with a minor in water science. He grew up working on his family’s cattle ranch where he “learned the value of a hard
day’s work,” he said. Borba received an internship with Oakdale Irrigation District, while attending Columbia Junior College. At Cal Poly, Borba is secretary of the Agricultural Engineering Society and is a Certified Agricultural Irrigation Specialist. “I plan to receive not only my bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly, but my master’s in irrigation as well,” said Borba. “I want to continue my work with the same passion that propelled me to where I am today.”
Clair Hill Scholarship The Clair Hill Scholarship awards $5,000 to a deserving undergraduate student. The recipient is chosen by the water agency that most recently won the Clair A. Hill Water Agency Award for Excellence. Tehama Colusa Canal Authority, the 2014 winner of ACWA’s Clair Hill agency award, announced its selected scholarship recipient — Dylan Soares — during a luncheon program at ACWA’s 2015 Spring Conference & Exhibition in Sacramento. Soares will be a senior at Cal Poly and studies bioresource and agricultural engineering. He comes from a family that has worked in agriculture for more than 30 years, which led him to focus on taking courses that center on irrigation system design, canal modernization and pumps and wells. “After graduating from Cal Poly, I plan on continuing my education by attending UC Davis School of Law,” said Soares. “I would like to work for an engineering company to continue my goal of being both a registered engineer and lawyer.”
Stephen K. Hall Scholarship The Stephen K. Hall ACWA Water Law and Policy Scholarship was created in 2007 to honor former ACWA Executive Director Steve Hall upon his retirement. The $7,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a qualified graduate student majoring in law, policy or public administration with a focus or concentration in California water resources. This year’s Hall scholarship recipient is Olivia Filbrandt, who is pursuing her Juris Doctorate at UC Davis School of Law. Filbrandt was raised in the Midwest and Northern California, where her parents instilled in her a commitment to service and hands-on environmental restoration. Filbrandt has held externships with U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, the Honorable Edward Davila, and the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. Her research has focused on such topics as domestic and international energy externalities, alternative energy choices, and genetically modified organisms. In law school, she is the senior articles editor of the Environmental Law Journal, publications director of the UC Davis Business Law Journal, as well as an active member in the Water Law Society. “In the future, I hope to use my background in social and legal research to pursue work in natural resource law by focusing on the interplay of modern demands for natural resources to social and political frameworks,” said Filbrandt.
july 24, 2015 • 17
Member News
Foresthill PUD Receives Grant for Environmental Studies The Foresthill Public Utility District received a $15,000 grant from the Placer County Water Agency to help pay for environmental studies associated with its application for extension of water rights permits, FPUD announced on June 16. The FPUD is seeking an extension of its water rights permits from the State Water Resources Control Board.
“We greatly appreciate the support of PCWA by assisting us with this grant,” Neil Cochran, a member of the FPUD Board of Directors, said in a written statement. “They’ve been willing partners in sharing both funds and advice on several projects in the past few years.” Two environmental studies are underway concurrently: a California
Environmental Quality Act Environmental Impact Report, and a National Environmental Policy Act Environmental Impact Statement. The studies also will examine potential impacts of two radial gates at Sugar Pine Dam that would increase local water storage capacity at Sugar Pine reservoir.
Dublin San Ramon Opens Second Recycled Water Fill Station Due to the popularity of its first fill station, the Dublin San Ramon Services District in late June opened a second recycled water fill station that allows people to drive off with up to 300 gallons of free recycled water per visit as many times per day as they like. Since the first recycled water fill station opened last year, DSRSD has served more than 2,000 registered users and distributed 7.6 million gallons of water as of June 29. The new fill station, located at the City of Dublin Public Safety Complex, is open Monday, Wednesday and Fri-
day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Due to the size of the parking lot at the complex, the fill station cannot accommodate vehicles with trailers. Vehicles with trailers may use the original Pleasanton fill station instead. Residents need not be DSRSD customers to take advantage of the fill stations, but must sign up for the program, receive training and agree to the terms of the program. For more information on using DSRSD’s recycled water fill stations please visit: www.dsrsd.com/freerecycled-water.
MWD Launches Summer “Take a Turn” Conservation Campaign The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on July 1 launched a new $5.5 million multicultural summer water conservation campaign titled “Take a Turn,” which asks customers to turn off water and other water-using appliances as they step up and take their turn conserving. The “Take a Turn” campaign features television, radio, and digital and online outlets and is available in five languages – English, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean and Vietnamese.
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“‘Turn’ has a powerful double meaning: Much of water conservation being with the action of ‘turning’ something off and now it’s time to take our ‘turn’ – the word encourages us to take action,” MWD General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger said in a statement. The full campaign will run through November, while the campaign’s television ad will run from July to September. “This campaign has a simple but powerful message. Every bit that every
one of us does to save water will add up to big savings. And it is now all of our turns to take conservation to the next level,” said MWD Board President Randy Record. More information on the campaign is available at www.bewaterwise.com/ campaign-ads.html.
Carlsbad Desalination Project Moves Closer to Completion The nation’s largest seawater desalination plant took a significant step toward completion on June 29 when construction crews installed the final segment of its 10-mile conveyance pipeline. The pipeline links the Carlsbad Desalination Plant to the San Diego County Water Authority’s regional water distribution system. The lowering of the final piece of pipe — No. 2177 — into Macario Canyon in Carlsbad completed a major element of the $1 billion project that has been under construction for about two years. The project, now about 90% complete, is expected to begin delivering water by the end of this year. “This project will provide a core water
supply for our region day-in and dayout for decades, reducing our reliance on vulnerable imported water supplies,” said Mark Weston, chair of the SDCWA Board of Directors. “We are particularly eager to start receiving the benefits of this project given the severe drought conditions faced statewide.” The project is the result of a 30-year agreement between SDCWA and Poseidon Water, the private developer of the project, for the purchase of between 48,000 and 56,000 acre-feet per year of desalinated seawater. The project includes three main components: the desalination plant, the pipeline, and about $80 million in upgrades to SDCWA facilities for distributing the desalinated water throughout the region.
The reverse-osmosis plant is on schedule to start commercial water production this fall, following approvals from state regulators. It will produce an average of 50 million gallons of highquality water per day — enough water to serve about 112,000 families — and meet 7% to 10% of the region’s water demand. The plant’s water will amount to one-third of all the water generated in San Diego County. During its three-year construction process, the project is estimated to support about 2,500 jobs, infusing $350 million into the local economy. For more information about the project, visit the project website at www.carlsbaddesal.com.
State Water Board Delivers Drinking Water Plan to Legislature The State Water Resources Control Board in mid-June delivered to the Legislature The Safe Drinking Water Plan for California, which details how the board plans to supply safe and reliable drinking water to all Californians. The report focuses on the nearly 8,000 public water systems that are under the purview of the State Water Board’s Division of Drinking Water. The report includes a five-action plan to support and provide resources to the water systems that serve the 2% of consumers who do not receive safe drinking water. The document does not address private wells and facilities that are not public water systems. “This plan serves as a roadmap to bring safe and sustainable water supplies to all Californians,” Division of Drinking Water Deputy Director Cindy Forbes said in a statement announcing delivery of the plan.
About 98% of California residents served by public water systems receive drinking water that meets federal and state drinking water standards. The remaining 2% are served by smaller public systems that struggle to provide safe and affordable drinking water due to many obstacles, including lack of technical, managerial and financial resources. The Safe Drinking Water Plan identifies the improvements needed to bring the smaller systems into compliance with a secure and reliable supply. Some of the key areas addressed in the report include: •
accessing water in a drought;
•
providing safe drinking water for disadvantaged communities;
•
increasing and sustaining capacity development of systems;
•
identifying shared solutions to supplying safe drinking water, including the consolidation of systems;
•
developing cheaper and effective treatment and analytical methods; and
•
building better emergency preparedness and response protocols for small systems.
Many of the recommendations within the report have already been, or are in the process, of being implemented, with some recommendations requiring legislative action.
july 24, 2015 • 19
OCWD Celebrates Expanded Groundwater Replenishment System Orange County Water District on June 26 formally dedicated the expansion of it Groundwater Replenishment System, which now produces 100 million gallons a day. The expansion was celebrated during a ceremony that featured local and state government officials as well as representatives from regional water retail agencies. The original GWRS was constructed in partnership with the Orange County Sanitation District and has been operational since 2008. The system takes highly treated wastewater and purifies it using a three-step advanced treatment process consisting of microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide, resulting
in high-quality water used to replenish regional groundwater basins. According to OCWD, the June GWRS expansion boosts the facility’s purified water production from 70 MGD to 100 MGD, or enough to supply water for 850,000 people. Further expansion of the facility also is being explored. For more information on the GWRS, visit www. gwrsystem.com.
Officials toast the initial expansion of Orange County Water District’s Groundwater Replenishment System. They are: (left to right) Philip Anthony, OCWD board member; Tom Beamish, chair, Orange County Sanitation District; Assembly Member Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach); Denis Bilodeau, OCWD board member; Cathy Green, OCWD president; Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa); and Assembly Member Matthew Harper (R-Huntington Beach). Photo courtesy of Black & Veatch Corporation
Eastern MWD Displays Signs Highlighting Recycled Water New signs indicating that recycled water is irrigating parks, agricultural fields, school grounds and other community landscaping in Eastern Municipal Water District’s service area began popping up in mid-June as the district launched a new campaign to highlight its customers’ responsible use of recycled water. EMWD placed the large banners and real estate-style signs at recycled water sites to show that many customers have proactively chosen to invest in this drought-proof water supply and
therefore will be exempted from the same state-mandated restrictions as potable water users.
water supply. It currently meets nearly 30% of its demand through recycled water efforts.
“Many of our recycled water customers have come under increased scrutiny because casual observers may not know they are using recycled water. This is to help alleviate those concerns,” EMWD President Randy Record said in a statement.
EMWD provides recycled water to more than 300 accounts, including nearly 11,000 acres of agriculture. The district has received several awards for its recycled water program, including California Agency of the Year (2010), California Customer of the Year (2011, 2012), National Project of the Year (2012) and President’s Award (2013).
EMWD is a national leader in recycled water. In 2014, the district reached 100% beneficial reuse of its recycled
Got an outreach program worth talking about?
Calling for Entries
Enter your agency’s outstanding public relations efforts in ACWA’s Huell Howser Best in Blue Award! The award recognizes outstanding achievements by public water agencies in communicating with customers, legislators, media and the public. The award will be presented at ACWA’s 2015 Fall Conference & Exhibition. Entries must be submitted by Sept. 1. Details and entry forms are at www.acwa.com.
20 • ACWANEWS
Vol. 43 No. 7
People News Castaic Lake Water Agency General Manager Masnada to Retire in 2016 After serving as Castaic Lake Water Agency’s general manager for more than 12 years, Dan Masnada in June announced plans to step down from his role at the end of the year to work on special projects before completely retiring from the agency in September 2016. Calling his leadership “extraordinary,” CLWA Board President Tom Campbell commended Masnada for his service and praised his accomplishments at the district. In a written statement, Campbell added that Masnada’s “vision of developing a diverse array of water management programs and supply sources
has positioned our community to withstand water supply fluctuations.’ Masnada’s career in the water industry spans three decades and includes accomplishments such as the construction of CLWA’s Sand Canyon pipeline, pump station, and reservoir, two solar power projects, and the development of the SCV Urban Water Management Plan. Prior to serving CLWA, Masnada was the executive director of the Central Coast Water Authority. The district will begin recruiting for Masnada’s successor this summer and make its decision by the end of the year.
Peltier to Lead San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority in 2016 The San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority announced on July 9 that Jason Peltier has been selected to succeed Dan Nelson as the authority’s next executive director, following Nelson’s year-end retirement. As part of the authority’s succession plan, Peltier will begin his employment in midAugust working as a deputy executive director before taking over officially on Jan. 1, 2016.
Nelson, who has served as the authority’s executive director since its formation, will retire after 24 years of service, making Peltier the second executive director to serve the agency.
KRCD General Manager David Orth Resigns The Kings River Conservation District Board of Directors announced July 22 that it received the resignation of General Manager Dave Orth at its July 14 meeting.
Orth co-chaired the Governor’s Drinking Water Stakeholder Group. He also serves on the California Water Commission.
“My time at KRCD has been a remarkable experience,” Orth said in brief farewell remarks at the meeting. “It’s been a pleasure serving under the direction of KRCD’s Board and working with KRCD’s excellent staff.” Orth’s resignation takes effect Aug. 15. Orth became general manager of KRCD in February 2002. Prior to KRCD, Orth was the director of finance and general manager for Westlands Water District. Orth has been deeply involved in the development of sustainable policies for local groundwater management and water quality protection.
Peltier currently serves as Westlands Water District chief deputy general manager. He has previously served as U.S. Department of Interior deputy assistant secretary for water and science and Central Valley Project Water Association manager.
“Under his direction, KRCD has positioned itself as a regional leader in the areas of water, power, and environmental resources,” David Cehrs, chair of the KRCD board, said in a written statement. Highlights of Orth’s tenure at KRCD include the construction of the Malaga Peaking Plant, greater regional water management collaboration through the Kings Basin Water Authority, and the continuation and support of the Kings River Fisheries Management Program. Randy Shilling, deputy general manager of business operations, will serve as interim general manager of KRCD as the board initiates an executive search for the recruitment of a new general manager. july 24, 2015 • 21
What kinds of products and services do you need to meet the new state mandatory water conservation regulations?
June Feedback
Here are excerpts from replies sent to acwanews@acwa.com.
Reclamation District No. 2068 – The agricultural sector could use funding, such as: • Funding for mechanisms to communicate crop specific water demand in real time formats, tailored to an ag user; • Funding for regional water balance data collection to help local agencies maximize water reuse; • Funding for additional metering and measurement within local districts; • Infrastructure funding to facilitate recapture and reuse; and • Infrastructure funding to reduce transmission losses and distribution system inefficiencies. Indian Wells Valley Water District – We no longer have a functioning AMR system so we are unable to monitor our customers’ usage on an hourly basis. We have gone back to manual meter reading until such time as we can implement a pilot program involving installation of an AMI system on 468 of our services (we have about 12,000 total). We have a significant opportunity to conserve water used in evaporative coolers… Converting to HVAC would result in significant savings, however the electrical costs are much higher to operate air conditioning compared to evaporative cooling. Perhaps some incentive to replace coolers with HVAC would be successful. Carpinteria Valley Water District – Products/services that will help CVWD with the conservation regulations. • Translation for multi-cultural messaging – primarily Spanish • More public outreach to CII customers • Plumbing Repair Programs for customers facing financial hardship • Funding for customer engagement software programs such as WaterSmart, Aquahawk, or Smart Utility Systems • Funding for conversion to AMI
Send us your feedback!
Now that mandatory water use reductions have been in place for a few months, what is your agency doing to sustain the momentum with your customers to conserve? Email your answer to acwanews@acwa.com by August 11, 2015. Please put in subject line “Feedback July 2015.”
West Basin Votes to Study Ocean-Water Desalination Facility In an effort to increase its local water supply, the West Basin Municipal Water District Board of Directors voted this spring to launch the formal environmental studies necessary to build a fullscale ocean-water desalination facility in its south bay. By initiating a formal environmental impact report, West Basin will evaluate possible environmental effects associated with building and operating a 20 million gallon-per-day ocean-water desalination facility as well as a 60 million gallon-per-day facility. The EIR will quantify potential impacts attributed to the facility’s intake, discharge, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and more. This document also will determine how much mitigation would be required for the facility to have a net zero environmental impact. “As a coastal water agency, it is important that West Basin evaluate a responsible ocean-water desalination program, should it be needed in the future,” said West Basin Board President Gloria D. Gray. “As the drought worsens, and with the uncertainty of climate change, it is prudent to explore ocean-water desalination.’ In addition to increasing water recycling, groundwater desalting and water conservation, investigating ocean-water desalination to diversify local water supplies is a key part of West Basin’s water reliability program. For more information about West Basin’s ocean-water desalination studies and water reliability program, please visit www. westbasin.org.
22 • ACWANEWS
Vol. 43 No. 7
Employment Senior Water Resources Specialist Santa Clara Valley Water District $9,756.93 – $12,486.93 monthly-based on a seven-step salary plan $117,083.20 – $149,843.20 annually-based on a seven-step salary plan Duties: The Senior Water Resources Specialist position in the Imported Water Unit provides a leadership role in: (1) protecting and promoting the District’s interests in its imported water contracts; (2) developing imported water supplies consistent with the District’s water supply planning efforts; (3) engaging in Statewide evaluation of water supply planning efforts, including evaluating operational components of Delta conveyance facilities and new reservoirs; (4) improving the efficient integration of imported water supplies with District Operations; and (5) minimizing imported water costs. Key job functions and responsibilities include: A. Represent the District in meetings and committees; participate in technical
development work conducted by coalitions of agencies; provide a leadership role for the District in technical negotiations. B. Perform analyses of complex technical, operational, economic and other information as needed to support Imported Water projects and provide recommendations to management. C. Organize and manage and lead technical work to support the development, negotiation and administration of water supply contracts and cooperative agreements with other agencies, semitropic groundwater bank operations, and other imported water projects. An important part of this job is maintaining working relationships with other water districts, as well as local, State and federal agencies. This will require extensive travel and may require overnight stays 3 days a month and may include 4-5 hours of freeway driving in a single day several times a month to and from external meetings. Last minute travel may also be required.
This position may require supervision of lower level staff. Experience: One year of professional water resources management experience at a level equivalent to the District’s Associate Water Resources Specialist, Associate Geologist or Associate Engineer (Civil) classifications (total of five years). Training: Equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in physical science, engineering or other directly related field (such as environmental science, geology, biology, hydrology, or ecology). A Master’s or other higher degree is preferred. Closing Date for Applications: 7-28-15 by 5:00 pm. For detailed information regarding requirements and qualifications for this opening and to apply online, please see the job posting by clicking on the following link: http://agency. governmentjobs.com/scvwd
Calling All Nominations Objective
ACWA
Emissary Award 2015 Recognizing Remarkable Contributions
The award recognizes individual ACWA member volunteers who have advanced ACWA’s mission and goals through their direct involvement. Individuals demonstrate: • Leadership in the course of service on ACWA committees • Advocacy / outreach at local, state and / or federal levels • Commitment of time and expertise for the benefit of an ACWA program or issue
Who Is Eligible? Any ACWA committee member, ACWA region board member or ACWA Board member who is employed by an ACWA public agency member is eligible to nominate any staff, consultant or board member of an ACWA public agency member.
When Are Nominations Due? Nominations must be received at the ACWA offices by September 1, 2015. An official nomination form and further details about the award, eligibility and selection process are available at www.acwa.com.
july 24, 2015 • 23
Most Clicked Here are some of July’s most-clicked stories on ACWA’s website, www.acwa.com. Be sure to subscribe to ACWA’s eNews to get the latest news in your email box each week. See www.acwa.com/newsletters/ ACWA-eNews for more.
Periodicals Postage Paid Sacramento, CA
Association of California Water Agencies 910 K Street, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95814-3577
Time Valued Material
Draft Regulations Released to Guide Groundwater Basin Boundary Revisions — 07/20/2015 New Landscapes to Use a Third Less Water Under Newly Adopted Model Ordinance — 07/15/2015
Upcoming Events
Water Summit Focuses on Technology, Policy for Efficient Water Use — 07/10/2015
Visit acwa.com for complete listing 31
Water Conservation Pricing Explored in Workshop — 07/08/2015
August 2015
Twitter Chatter Capital Press @capitalpress • June 26 | Strong El Nino likely this winter, but no end of drought seen KQEDscience @KQEDscience • July 13 | ‘No Water Here’: Drought Drives California Ranchers to Thin Herds NBC Bay Area @nbcbayarea • July 15 | DROUGHT: California is shutting down “rinse-off” showers at state beaches to conserve water. Deb Dutta @DuttaDeb • July 15 | To save water, new California homes will have less lawn California WaterFix @CAWaterFix • J uly 9 | Public comment period for #BDCP/ #CAWaterFix recirculated docs officially begins July 10. California WaterFix @CAWaterFix • July 10 | #BDCP/ #CAWaterFix FAQ tackles tough questions.
17 – 19
Smart H2O Summit will be held at the San Francisco Marriott. More information available at www.smarth2osummit.com/attend.html.
28 – 29
DesalTech2015, the International Conference on emerging water desalination technologies in municipal and industrial applications, will take place in San Diego. For event details, visit www.desaltech2015.com.
September 2015 1 – 2
A two-day drought tour sponsored by the Water Education Foundation explores the impacts of California’s four-year drought. For more information, visit www.watereducation.org/tour/droughttour-2015.
10 – 11
ACWA’s 2015 Continuing Legal Education will be held at the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland, CA. You can earn up to 12.25 hours of general credit by attending these workshops. Online registration is available at www.acwa.com.
24 – 25
A groundwater tour sponsored by the Water Education Foundation will travel through the Sacramento region to view sites that explore groundwater issues. For more information, visit www.watereducation. org/tour/groundwater-tour-2015.
30
A financing sustainable water workshop hosted by Regional Water Authority at the Sierra 2 Center, Sacramento CA. Learn about the newest resources and strategies that can help you navigate the challenge of developing rate structures. For more information, visit www.acwa.com — go to the events calendar.
October 2015 14
ACWA’s 2015 Regulatory Summit will be held at DoubleTree Hotel, Ontario. Online registration available at www.acwa.com/events/acwa2015-regulatory-summit.
25 – 26
ACWA’s Region 5 is hosting a program, The Lake Cachuma Project, in Buellton, CA. The program will begin with a visit to Lake Cachuma and reconvene at the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott for a program featuring Santa Barbara County water management.