Court ruling provides surety for water supply, says the Desert Sun
Posted by: Maven on December 16, 2011 at 8:41 amFrom MyDesert.com (The Desert Sun), this editorial:
“Coachella and Imperial valley water officials are breathing sighs of relief after a higher court overturned a lower court’s ruling that blocked the largest water transfer in U.S. history.
A Sacramento Superior Court judge ruled in 2009 that the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) that supposedly ended a decades-long debate over Colorado River water rights was unconstitutional because it was a blank check for the California Legislature to restore the Salton Sea.
The 3rd Appellate Court ruled last week that the QSA did not violate the California Constitution because drawing money from the treasury still requires an appropriation by the Legislature. … “
Continue reading this editorial by clicking here.
Health hazards similar in San Joaquin, Coachella valleys
Posted by: Maven on November 28, 2011 at 7:30 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“A new study on the the environmental health risks across Central California describes conditions strikingly similar to those confronting many eastern Coachella Valley residents.
More than 1 million people living in the sprawling San Joaquin Valley face serious health risks from toxic air, polluted water and other environmental factors, according to a University of California, Davis report published earlier this month.
Residents there buy bottled water to avoid the arsenic-tinged water supplies where they live, according to researchers. They’ve also fought expansion of an unpermitted rendering plant, and they pushed to close a hazardous waste facility spreading noxious odors. … “
Continue reading from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
Conservation and the water bond remain essential, says Desert Sun editorial
Posted by: Maven on May 4, 2011 at 8:24 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“The California Department of Water Resources’ final snow survey of the season on Monday shows this has been the wettest winter in 60 years, by at least one measure.
The Sierra Nevada got 63.9 inches of snow, just shy of the record 65 inches recorded in 1950-51.
However, a U.S. Interior Department report released last week forecast that climate change could reduce annual flows in three prominent river basins — the Colorado, Rio Grande and San Joaquin — by 8 percent to 14 percent in the next four decades. … “
Continue reading from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Coachella Valley: Storing more water in our basin is good, says editorial
Posted by: Maven on December 29, 2010 at 6:21 amFrom MyDesert.com, this editorial:
“In the Coachella Valley, water conservation is a way of life. So it’s good news that the Desert Water Agency reports that more water was stored in our underground basin this year than in any year the past 24 years.
This will help delay rate increases for the district’s water agencies.
“A bunch of things happened to come together this year that worked out really well,” said Steve Robbins, general manager and chief engineer of the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD). … “
Continue reading from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Commentary: With planning, Coachella Valley will continue to have a reliable water supply
Posted by: Maven on December 26, 2010 at 9:30 amFrom MyDesert.com, this commentary by Patricia “Corky” Larson, director of the Coachella Valley Water District :
“Looking back sets the stage as we head toward 2011:
We owe great appreciation to the people who have given us a sound water system. Without their foresight starting as far back as 1918 we could not be what we are today. We may not remember the names or faces of the people who set up systems to provide sufficient, clean water, but they made it possible for us to flourish.
That same kind of futuristic problem solving is happening right now and will continue in the coming year. … “
Continue reading from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Coachella Valley: Water supply enough to stave off rate hikes
Posted by: Maven on December 24, 2010 at 7:00 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“The Coachella Valley water supply increased this year compared to 2009, and officials say they can kick off 2011 with enough water to help prevent any rate increases.
About 262,000 acre-feet of water went into underground basins this year, which is enough to provide just as many homes and businesses. …
The valley hasn’t received that much water since 1986, and it collected less than 100,000 acre-feet last year, said Steve Robbins, general manager and chief engineer for the Coachella Valley Water District. … “
Continue reading from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Coachella Valley: Imported water deliveries hit 20-year high
Posted by: Maven on December 19, 2010 at 7:44 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“The Coachella Valley has received more imported water this year than in any year in the past two decades.
Imported water supplies have reached near record-breaking levels this year, with about 262,000 acre feet put into the groundwater basin this calendar year, through November — enough for the water needs of about 262,000 valley homes and businesses.
Deliveries of imported water have not been this high since 1986 when the Desert Water Agency and Coachella Valley Water District brought in 288,201 acre feet, according to the agencies. … “
Continue reading from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Indio neighborhood directed not to drink well water
Posted by: Maven on December 17, 2010 at 7:56 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“Residents living in a small unincorporated part of the county near Indio have been advised to not drink their water because of elevated levels of perchlorate — a chemical found in weapons, explosives and rocket fuel.
The Riverside County Environmental Health Department issued the advisory Thursday after two water samples showed an average of 7.6 parts per billion of perchlorate.
The maximum level allowed is 6 parts per billion. … “
Continue reading from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Coachella awarded $5M loan to fix water issues
Posted by: Maven on September 21, 2010 at 7:21 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“The city of Coachella has secured a $5 million federal loan to improve its wastewater system infrastructure, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday.
It was the only city in California to land on a list of 89 nationwide communities to receive the loans, which total more than $445 million in federal stimulus projects. … “
Continue reading from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Coachella Valley Water District makes its case for a rate hike
Posted by: Maven on July 11, 2010 at 8:07 amFrom MyDesert.com, this editorial:
“Everywhere we turn, it seems costs are going up. A one-year dog license could double, from $8 to $16, if the Board of Supervisors approves the proposal. Traffic ticket penalties are skyrocketing, although you can avoid those by being a careful driver. And now the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) wants to raise rates.
As Jeff Geraci of Cathedral City argues on this page, the process hardly seems fair. Under Proposition 218, unless more than half the 107,000 customers file a protest, the increase goes through.
Geraci says it’s especially unfair this time of year, when snowbirds are away — all those count as yes votes.
However, CVWD General Manager Steve Robbins points out that snowbirds are notified. “If they’ve gone home to Nova Scotia, they get a notice in Nova Scotia,” he said…. “
Continue reading this editorial from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST THE RATE INCREASE:
- Water rate hike – YES: Without increase services will be reduced, by Steve Robbins, general manager and chief engineer of Coachella Valley Water District
- Water rate hike – NO: Hike is unnecessary and the process is unfair, by Jeff Geraci, Cathedral City resident and environmental scientist
Cabazon water bottling plant draws district’s ire
Posted by: Maven on June 17, 2010 at 6:57 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“The Cabazon Water District could shut off the water supply today to the Nestle Waters North America bottling plant in Cabazon, the general manager for the utility announced late Tuesday.
The action involving a company best known for its production of Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water products could be taken at 10 a.m. today as a result of an impasse involving negotiations with Nestle Water to extend water service outside the boundaries of its district to the bottling plant.
“We’ve been serving the plant without a (written) agreement since 2001,” said Calvin Louie, general manager of the Cabazon Water District. … “
Continue reading from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Thermal mobile home park residents see water bill relief
Posted by: Maven on May 11, 2010 at 6:19 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“Residents of the Sunbird Mobile Home Park in Thermal are already seeing their trip to testify before state lawmakers last month pay dividends. Residents of the park, at 84-950 Echol Road, will avoid what some there have described as “unconscionably high” water rates — at least for a while — thanks to a temporary ruling last week by the state’s public utilities commission.
The California Public Utilities Commission announced Thursday that Sunbird management can no longer bill residents above the park’s top two tiers of water usage, pending resolution of a complaint filed last November by several Sunbird residents. The PUC’s ruling also states that the park cannot use residents’ non-payment of a water bill as grounds to evict them, pending a final decision.
Sunbird’s tier-three and tier-four rates were ten times the comparable rates charged by the Coachella Valley Water District, according to California Rural Legal Assistance, which is representing park residents there in the complaint before the PUC. … “
Continue reading this article from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Coachella Valley Water District’s chief engineer Steve Robbins goes with the flow
Posted by: Maven on April 26, 2010 at 6:32 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“Steve Robbins has served since 2002 as general manager and chief engineer for the Coachella Valley Water District, a public agency established in 1918 that serves 1,000 square miles in Riverside, Imperial and San Diego counties. It has more than 500 employees and an annual operating budget of nearly $220 million.
Robbins is president of the State Water Contractors, sits on the board of California Municipal Utilities Association and on the regional board of the Association of California Water Agencies.
He played a key role in negotiations that lead to the Quantification Settlement Agreement, which helped resolve longstanding Colorado River issues.
A UCLA graduate, Robbins joined the district as a domestic water engineer in 1978. He was in the private sector for about nine years and as assistant director of engineering. … “
Continue reading this article from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians salutes Mission Springs Water District’s battle against septic tanks
Posted by: Maven on April 25, 2010 at 7:29 amFrom MyDesert.com, this commentary by Richard M. Milanovich of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians:
“Regarding The Desert Sun’s editorial of April 11, 2010, (“Invest to keep water safe and pure”), the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians congratulates the Mission Springs Water District for working to improve groundwater in the Coachella Valley by establishing a program to eliminate nearly 5,000 septic tanks in Desert Hot Springs that are a threat to our long-term water quality.
While the area at risk contains important historic mineral springs that have attracted Desert Hot Springs residents and spa-goers, the tribe also has a growing concern that the valley’s high-quality aquifer is being systematically degraded with groundwater from the Colorado River with high levels of undissolved solids and rising salinity.
All of us in the Coachella Valley are in “overdraft” mode, taking more of the aquifer’s pristine water than is replaced by naturally occurring sources. Older, potentially leaky and unmonitored septic systems add to this degradation. … “
Continue reading this commentary by clicking here.
Technologies help improve agriculture
Posted by: Maven on April 18, 2010 at 7:02 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“When Peter Rabbit Farms owner John Powell Jr. observes tons of glistening orange carrots being loaded onto trucks, he thinks green. It’s not so much the green of money — although that certainly keeps the third-generation family-operated farm in good stead. Rather, he sees it as another opportunity to embrace an innovative, environmentally friendly practice.
Peter Rabbit Farms recently began washing tons of carrots before loading them into trucks bound for packing houses in Bakersfield. By eliminating dirt, vines and other debris, the Coachella farm is able to pile substantially more carrots into each 80,000-pound truck.
The result: The farm cuts about 10 round-trips per day, six or seven days a week, saving gas, cutting emissions and keeping more trucks off freeways. … “
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Desalination reconsidered as way to quench water needs; Local water agency says valley would indirectly benefit from proposals
Posted by: Maven on February 18, 2010 at 5:54 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“Once a pipe dream, using the Pacific Ocean to help solve the parched west’s water needs is becoming a more real possibility by the day.
A number of major desalination projects are under consideration or actively in the works in California and northern Mexico, which would take seawater and reduce its salt content to make it a potable water source.
While none of the projects call for directly providing water to assist the Coachella Valley with meeting its future needs, helping cities such as San Diego, Las Vegas and Phoenix has a ripple effect, Coachella Valley Water District General Manager Steve Robbins said.
“The less pressure there is to take water out of the desert and move it to the coast, the better off it is in the long run for the Coachella and Imperial valleys, and the Salton Sea,” he said.
A confluence of circumstances is making desalination more of a reality: a desire for more stable and abundant water supplies — and a more logical financial equation. … “
Continue reading this article at MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Lawmakers probe Coachella Valley’s arsenic-tained ground water
Posted by: Maven on February 14, 2010 at 7:13 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit and state Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez toured mobile home parks across the eastern Coachella Valley Saturday, to better grasp the widespread problem of arsenic-contaminated groundwater there.
“We’re here to work together to try to solve these problems,” Pérez told about 40 residents at the 80-unit Sunbird park in Thermal. Thousands of east valley residents live in areas that potentially contain hazardous levels of arsenic in their groundwater, a recent Desert Sun report found.
“It’s just a matter of the political will” to provide those residents with safe drinking water, Pérez said.
The strategy likely will involve a mix of short- and long-term water fixes, officials said. … “
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Palm Springs seeks water district aid to help with $180K of repairs
Posted by: Maven on February 2, 2010 at 6:32 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“Palm Springs city officials are looking to the Coachella Valley Water District to help cover a nearly $180,000 price tag for recent repairs to Vista Chino at the wash.
Palm Springs Public Works Director David Barakian said he plans to discuss the proposal today in a meeting with water district officials.
On Dec. 13, an earthen berm used by the district to divert storm water from the wash to nearby basins collapsed under fast-moving floodwaters near Whitewater. It sent gushing torrents of water across the Whitewater River Wash.
The result was familiar to anyone who’s tried to drive through western Coachella Valley after a fierce rain storm: Indian Canyon Drive, Gene Autry Trail and Vista Chino in Palm Springs all were buried under mud and debris at the wash. … “
All that rain is not going to end Coachella Valley’s drought
Posted by: Maven on February 1, 2010 at 6:21 amFrom MyDesert.com, this commentary by Steve Robbins of the Coachella Valley Water District:
“With all the rain the Coachella Valley received in January, a lot of people are asking whether it signals the end of the drought. For all practical purposes, the desert is always in a drought. What’s more important to the valley is that residents and businesses are using more water from the aquifer every year than is replenished. The underground aquifer is vital to the future of the Coachella Valley because it’s our source of drinking water.
On average, Coachella Valley water users pump nearly three times more water out of the aquifer than is returned by natural and artificial replenishment. Natural replenishment occurs when rain is soaked into the ground. However, only in some areas will the natural geology allow it to percolate to the aquifer. With heavy rains, much of the rain is carried away to the Salton Sea by our flood protection facilities before it has a chance to percolate. … “
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Arsenic-tinged water plagues unincorporated communities
Posted by: Maven on January 31, 2010 at 7:51 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“Thousands of eastern Coachella Valley residents live in areas that potentially contain hazardous levels of arsenic in their groundwater, a problem officials say could cost millions to remedy.
In Coachella and the unincorporated eastern valley communities of Mecca, Oasis and Thermal, Riverside County environmental health officials know of wells at 19 mobile home and RV parks that recently tested positive for dangerous levels of arsenic ranging from 12 to 91 parts per billion in their groundwater.
Studies have linked arsenic, a naturally occurring tasteless and odorless element, to risks of cancer when ingested over decades at levels of more than 10 parts per billion, according to state and federal health officials. Children are even more susceptible because of their low body weight. … “
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Flood protection, desert style
Posted by: Maven on December 20, 2009 at 7:11 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“When it rains in the desert, panic pours. Newcomers and visitors from places where rain is second nature are often amazed at how locals react. But in our little piece of paradise, where we enjoy 350 days of sunshine a year, rain is an unusual event. We’re thankful for the rain, but not the floods.
Record rain day and breached berms
The Coachella Valley averages 4.6 inches of rain a year. On Dec. 8, 1.2 inches was recorded at the Palm Springs International Airport, setting a record for the date. More than 25 percent of our annual average fell in a single day. … “
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Water concerns could dry up Coachella Valley solar plans
Posted by: Maven on December 14, 2009 at 6:12 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“Water issues could threaten federal and state plans for quick approval of three solar plants proposed for public land east of the Coachella Valley, with hundreds of jobs for local residents and millions of dollars for the region’s economy at stake.
All three projects entail massive solar thermal plants that use millions of gallons of water a year on sites that rely on wells drawing from aquifers that are part of the Colorado River system.
“Wells that are hydraulically connected to the river are considered to divert water from the river itself,” said John Nickell, acting assistant area manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Yuma office, which overseas the lower Colorado River.
“The California apportionment (of Colorado River water) is a fixed amount,” he said. If water is pumped from underground for these projects, that could leave less Colorado River water for California overall, he said. … “
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Statehouse Insider: Bond would be boon to Coachella Valley
Posted by: Maven on November 8, 2009 at 6:29 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“It pays to have connections, especially in Sacramento.
That was abundantly clear last week with the legislative effort aimed at transforming California’s water system.
The $11-plus billion bond, which now goes to voters for approval, could prove beneficial for the desert as it includes $100 million for the Salton Sea, $20 million for the New River and $47 million for the Colorado River watershed.
That’s thanks in part to the desert’s two state senators: Denise Ducheny, a San Diego Democrat, and John Benoit, a Bermuda Dunes Republican who will resign his seat today to take a Riverside County supervisor seat. …”
La Quinta water facility named after ex-manager Thomas E. Levy
Posted by: Maven on October 29, 2009 at 10:09 pmFrom MyDesert.com:
“More than 100 acres in La Quinta were officially named the home of Coachella Valley Water District’s first east valley full-scale groundwater replenishment facility.
Several of the valley’s leaders, including Mayor Don Adolph, Mayor Pro Tem Terry Henderson and Sen. John Benoit, R-Bermuda Dunes, attended the dedication ceremony of the Thomas E. Levy Groundwater Replenishment Facility on Oct. 21, named after Levy who served as the district’s general manager for 16 years.
“It’s really quite an honor to have something so important to the future of the Coachella Valley named after me,” Levy said during the ceremony. “It is one of the key elements in ensuring that we have adequate water supply for future generations of valley residents.” …”
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
East Coachella Valley gains new groundwater plant
Posted by: Maven on October 22, 2009 at 8:50 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“The Coachella Valley Water District dedicated its first east valley full-scale groundwater replenishment facility, which promises gallons of water to generations of desert residents.
AdvertisementSeveral valley leaders, including Sen. John Benoit, R-Bermuda Dunes, attended the dedication ceremony of the the Thomas E. Levy Groundwater Replenishment Facility on Wednesday, named after Levy, who served as the district’s general manager for 16 years.
“The valley has really benefited from the decades he was here and the desert will be the beneficiaries of his solid leadership for years to come thanks to this facility,” Benoit said.
The facility, located west of Monroe Street between Avenue 60 and Avenue 62 in La Quinta, will percolate 40,000 acre-feet of water — 13 billion gallons — annually to the eastern valley’s aquifer, said district General Manager Steve Robbins. …”
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Water usage overestimated: Coachella Valley Water District & Imperial Irrigation District note excess rations
Posted by: Maven on September 21, 2009 at 6:23 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“Two of California’s largest Colorado River water-users, the Imperial Irrigation District and Coachella Valley Water District, expect to leave large amounts of their river water allotments unused this year.
The surprising projection comes as drought continues in the parched western United States and communities continue to scramble to conserve water and find new supplies.
The projected leftover river water would be the largest amounts for the agencies since the 2003 Quantitative Settlement Agreement, or QSA, forced river-users to keep better track of their water use.
It’s good news for the water-starved Los Angeles area, as agreements call for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and its 19million customers to receive all unused agricultural water supplies from IID and the Coachella Valley Water District. …”
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
City, water district settle differences
Posted by: Maven on August 31, 2009 at 12:35 pmFrom MyDesert.com:
“The city has agreed to pay the Coachella Valley Water District $420,684 in unpaid replenishment fees dating back to July 2007. It will also begin regular payment of the fee, which beginning Tuesday will result in an average monthly increase of $2.32 a month for Indio water users.
City officials say that increase could more than double over the next couple of years as the water district’s water replenishment fees increase.
The Indio Water Authority will meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday to discuss those issues.
The monthly increase and backpay are a result of a settlement agreement reached June 30 between the city’s water agency and the Coachella Valley Water District. …”
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Coachella Valley agencies split over water forecast
Posted by: Maven on July 29, 2009 at 7:18 amFrom MyDesert.com:
A new study warning that climate change could dry out Colorado River reservoirs by mid-century met with mixed reactions Tuesday from Coachella Valley water agencies, many of which rely on the river as a key water source.
The study, released earlier this month by researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder, projects a one-in-two possibility of the river’s reservoirs drying by 2057, depending on the extent of climate change.
After nine years of drought, major reservoirs such as Lake Mead and Lake Powell are at only 59 percent of capacity, said researcher Balaji Rajagopalan, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the university. He predicts that if climate change reduces the river’s flow by 10 percent, the reservoirs have a one-in-four chance of depletion by 2057.
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Coachella Valley restaurants serving water only on request
Posted by: Maven on July 16, 2009 at 6:50 amFrom MyDesert.com:
Thirty-seven Coachella Valley restaurants are trying to battle California’s drought, one glass at a time. At the request of the Coachella Valley Water District, the restaurants are serving water only when customers request it.
“With this program, CVWD is working with local businesses to raise awareness of the regional water crisis,” said Abby Figueroa, CVWD public information associate.
Sherman’s Deli & Bakery in Palm Desert was the first to sign up for the program. The restaurant has been providing water on a by-request basis since November. General manager Gordon Poster said customers have been supportive of the conservation efforts, which have helped the restaurant save about 125 gallons of water a day.
That’s roughly the amount the average person uses over the course of a day, Figueroa said.
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Coachella Valley farmworkers demand clean water
Posted by: Maven on July 8, 2009 at 6:32 amFrom MyDesert.com:
Fed up with broken promises from valley lawmakers, a handful of farmworkers petitioned state and federal legislators on Tuesday for the most basic of services: clean, safe drinking water and sewer systems.
These farmworkers, who live in some of the Coachella Valley’s most dilapidated mobile home parks, delivered more than 300 letters from residents to Sen. Denise Ducheny, D-San Diego; Assemblyman Manual Perez, D-Coachella; Riverside County Supervisor Roy Wilson; and Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs.
“These are not ribbon-cutting projects,” said Sergio Carranza, founder and executive director of Pueblo Unido, a community development organization formed in 2008. “They are basically trying to address these very basic needs,” he said. “Now we’re putting a human face to this issue.”
Read more from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
Coachella begins groundwater recharge; New facility can recharge Valley’s aquifer with up to 40,000 acre-feet annually
Posted by: Maven on June 19, 2009 at 6:53 amFrom the California Farmer:
The same amount of water used by approximately 40,000 desert households each year will be pumped back into the ground over the next 12 months thanks to a new project by the Coachella Valley Water District.
CVWD recently began replenishing groundwater in the east valley at its newest recharge facility in south La Quinta. The new facility can recharge the Coachella Valley’s aquifer with up to 40,000 acre-feet of water annually. One acre-foot is 325,851 gallons. “With this latest project, CVWD responds to the statewide water crisis and takes another step towards protecting our local water resources,” says General Manager-Chief Engineer Steve Robbins.
Every year, the Coachella Valley uses almost 400,000 acre-feet of groundwater, but on average only 63,000 acre-feet is replenished naturally through rain or snow melt. Over time excess pumping depletes the aquifer, threatens water supplies to the local population and compromises future growth in the valley.
To replenish groundwater, the new facility uses Colorado River water delivered to the valley via the Coachella Canal, across 120 miles to Lake Cahuilla in La Quinta. The water then travels along existing irrigation pipes, is pumped into 39 recharge basins and left to percolate into the ground.
Read more from California Farmer by clicking here.
Tense times for Desert Hot Springs Mayor Pro Tem Karl Baker and the Mission Springs Water District
Posted by: Maven on June 11, 2009 at 12:34 pmFrom MyDesert.com:
Recent tensions between Desert Hot Springs Mayor Pro Tem Karl Baker and the Mission Springs Water District that serves the city are gaining steam.
Baker, who came under fire for a March 13 outburst at a MSWD employee that some deemed racially insensitive, filed a public records request to examine district travel, salaries, legal and consultant fees, and communications. Several of the items on the May 6 request focus on water district Engineering Manager Dan Patneaud, who formerly served as Public Works director for the city of Desert Hot Springs.
Baker said he’s worried the water district might be paying excess consulting fees to review and approve engineering projects since Patneaud does not have a Principal Engineer Certificate, an engineering license.
“There’s nothing in the job that says you will have to have this,” District General Manager Arden Wallum said Wednesday of the Principal Engineer Certificate. Other staff would handle such approvals regardless of whether Patneaud had the certificate, Wallum said.
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Water, business and political leaders call for united push for peripheral canal at Riverside County Water Symposium; On-going drought is leading to mandatory conservation, higher rates and prolonged recession in California
Posted by: Maven on June 4, 2009 at 6:08 amFrom the Riverside County Water Task Force website (http://www.h2oriversidecounty.org/)
California’s economy will continue to struggle and ratepayers can expect high rates despite gains in conservation due to the ongoing drought and the need to modernize a water system that was built in the 1960s.That was the somber news from the Sixth Annual Riverside County Water Symposium held today, May 28, at the Palm Springs Convention Center where more than 800 people representing cities, counties, departments, businesses and water agencies who attended this year’s event.
“With a united voice we must make ourselves heard in Sacramento. We must make our water needs the priority of our legislators at the capitol,” said Riverside County Supervisor Roy Wilson, whose Fourth District includes much of the desert region’s of the county.
For the sixth consecutive year, Riverside-based public affairs and stakeholder coalition development firm TMG Communications Inc. produced and coordinated the event.
New technologies to clean ground water more efficiently and solar power are working their way into the operations of the region’s water districts, but Riverside County and much of Southern California continue to grapple with the drop in water allocations from the Bay Delta ordered by the courts to protect the finger-sized Delta smelt.
“This is the wettest drought in California history,” said Brian Thomas, assistant general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Although rainfall is down in Southern California, northern California’s rainfall was just shy of its average, Thomas said, implying that the shortage in the region is largely caused by the drop in water allocations.
Addressing the state’s water challenges, Michael Chrisman, California Secretary for Resources reminded the audience that water is precious and that now is the best opportunity in 25 years to push for a peripheral canal around the Bay Delta. “From a statewide perspective, the big decisions have been put off for way too long,” said Michael Chrisman, California Secretary for Natural Resources.”The time now is critical for you to be involved in the legislative process.
A pall was cast upon many of the water leaders at the Symposium following the defeat of the state budget funding Proposition 1A. Its defeat has water agencies and districts bracing for the state raiding their funding, which could create new fees being imposed by the water agencies and districts.
During his call for a united effort to lobby the state for a peripheral canal around the Bay Delta, Charles Wilson, warned that business must play a greater role in pushing for water projects. “Businesses must get interested in water issues or they’ll be getting out of business,” said Wilson, chairman of the Southern California Water Committee charged with water advocacy and education for seven counties in Southern California. Wilson asked that audience members send letters, pass proclamations and contact legislators to let them know the support for a peripheral canal.
Matt Webb, president of the engineering firm Albert A. Webb Associates, emceed the sold out conference, which attracted more than three dozen sponsors and representatives from more than 80 municipalities, water districts, government agencies and environmental groups. A diverse group of more than two dozen experts discussed the issues facing residents, industries and the environment in the watershed, including:
• Michael Chrisman, California Secretary for Natural Resources
• Riverside County Supervisors Marion Ashley and Roy Wilson
• Matt Webb, president, Albert A. Webb Associates and event emcee
• International water law expert Eric Garner, managing partner of Best, Best & Krieger
• Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet
• Celeste Cantú, General Manager, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority
• Tony Pack, general manager, Eastern Municipal Water District
• John Rossi, general manager, Western Municipal Water District
• Steve Robbins, general manager, Coachella Valley Water District
• Dave Luker, general manager, Desert Water AgencyThe event is presented by the Riverside-based engineering firm Albert A. Webb Associates and produced by the strategic communications and stakeholder coalition development firm TMG Communications Inc.
Summarizing the call to action, Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet asked the audience to join his city’s efforts in its pathway to sustainability. “Water is life. If we are to be a leader in water use, reuse and conservation, we need to commit to sustainability,” said Pougnet.
About the TMG Communications Inc.: TMG is a Riverside-based strategic communications and stakeholder coalition development firm serving all of Southern California’s public affairs and public relations needs. TMG’s staff of public affairs, media relations, design and photography, sales and government affairs professionals provide a variety of outreach and public education services for Fortune 500 companies, water agencies and municipalities. For more information about TMG, please visit www.tmgonline.com
Coachella Valley consumers recognize need to conserve water
Posted by: Maven on May 17, 2009 at 7:39 amFrom MyDesert.com:
Coachella Valley residents and water agencies are working together — successfully — to conserve the valley’s most precious resource: water.
“Tiered rates are really helping in that area,” said Heather Engel, director of communications and legislation for the Coachella Valley Water District. “As a district, our customers are doing very well.” Eighty percent of the agency’s single-family home customers are using water efficiently, district statistics show.
From 2002 to 2006, the Desert Water Agency in Palm Springs installed 1,000 more connections, but water use remained at 2002 levels, agency board member Pat Oygar said.
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Riverside County leaders must collaborate to save water, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on May 6, 2009 at 6:27 amFrom MyDesert.com, this commentary by Marion Ashley, Riverside County supervisor for the Fifth District:
Time and again, the residents of California have risen to meet the challenges that have faced the state. With the ongoing drought and reduced water allocations from Northern California, the citizens of Riverside County once again must meet a new challenge that threatens our economy and way of life.
Statewide, water leaders including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg and the Association of California Water Agencies are all wrestling with a solution to our water crisis, and we should continue to encourage their efforts.
Riverside County cannot count on a quick and favorable resolution. We must do all we can to help ourselves with sustainable local and countywide water efficiency measures until statewide efforts assure a dependable water supply.
Fortunately, our county and the water districts that serve it have been on the forefront of finding ways to purify groundwater, manage storm-water runoff, recharge our aquifers and promote conservation.
Now we must redouble our efforts.
Read more of Marion’s commentary by clicking here.
Coachella Valley getting funds for water projects
Posted by: Maven on April 23, 2009 at 6:17 amFrom MyDesert.com:
State officials said Tuesday the Coachella Valley area will get more than $400,000 for water supply and drought work as a $4 million public information campaign begins to encourage conservation statewide.
The valley money would fund a range of projects from groundwater desalination work to an upgrade of landscape irrigation.
The state and the Association of California Water Agencies plan television advertising, billboards, a Web site and other steps primarily aimed at urging residents to cut water use to help California as it struggles through a third dry year.
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
State suing Travel Centers of America; Coachella’s Dillon Road center named in action alleging disregard for fuel storage law
Posted by: Maven on April 19, 2009 at 6:29 amFrom MyDesert.com:
Fighting to safeguard groundwater supplies, California Attorney General Edmund Brown Jr. has filed suit against the national chain, Travel Centers of America, to force it to comply with underground fuel storage laws. Named in the case is the travel center at 46-155 Dillon Road in Coachella.
The lawsuit, filed April 9 in Riverside County Superior Court, claims the Ohio-based corporation operating the Dillon Road station and 233 others in the United States and Canada has “knowingly and repeatedly disregarded” California’s underground fuel storage law for years. “This has put the Inland Empire’s scarce groundwater supplies at serious risk of contamination,” Brown said.
The suit, seeking injunctive relief and civil penalties that could range from $5 million to as much as $70 million, is an off-shoot of action begun in July 2008.
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Most water users efficient in district
Posted by: Maven on April 2, 2009 at 5:38 amFrom MyDesert.com:
Seventy-nine percent of Coachella Valley Water District’s single-family residential customers are using water efficiently, according to statistics compiled by the district.
AdvertisementThe district, which will implement tiered water rate charges beginning with customers’ May or June bill, are sending “shadow bills” to customers to let them know what rate category they would fall into once the tiered rates take effect.
District officials were not surprised by the high rate of efficiency among its customers.
“I think that shows that what we’re doing doesn’t hurt people,” said Steve Robbins, general manager-chief engineer for the district.
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Mid-valley pipeline project 60% done
Posted by: Maven on March 21, 2009 at 6:07 amFrom MyDesert.com:
The first phase of the $70 million Mid-Valley Pipeline Project, designed to curb the demand for the area’s groundwater, is complete.
The Coachella Valley Water District project will blend Colorado River water with recycled water from the district’s Palm Desert Wastewater Reclamation Plant and pump the water to area golf courses for irrigation.
The present distribution system provides reclaimed water to 12 area golf courses. But the water district plans to expand that to about 50 courses, most of which use high- quality drinking water to irrigate grass and landscaping. “We want to wean the golf courses off the well water to preserve that groundwater for drinking and higher use,” said Dennis Mahr, communications and legislative director at the water district.
Without the pipeline and distribution system, the district lacks enough water to do this, Mahr said.
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Indio constructs new reservoirs; Water authority to triple capacity; anticipates city’s growing demands
Posted by: Maven on February 6, 2009 at 5:50 amFrom MyDesert.com:
Just four months after building a 5.2-million-gallon water reservoir, Indio will start work Monday on yet another that will hold 2.5 million gallons. Another 5-million-gallon reservoir is in the works that will provide water to a planned community in north Indio.
When complete, the three new reservoirs will more than double the growing city’s water storage capacity. “We’re not looking at just today. We’re looking at 100 years from now,” said Paul Giera, water operations manager for the Indio Water Authority.
Until about five months ago, the city’s reservoirs had the capacity to hold 8.25 million gallons of groundwater — the same capacity Indio had in 1984, Giera said. Once the authority’s planned reservoir-related projects are complete, the city will have the capacity to store about 19 million gallons of water, he said.
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Interesting note: You can view a photo gallery of Indio water infrastructure from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
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