Metropolitan Water District General Manager’s statement on initial State Water Project allocation for 2009
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 30, 2008 at 3:22 pmFrom Business Wire:
Jeff Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, issues the following statement regarding the California Department of Water Resource’s initial 15 percent allocation of State Water Project supplies to Metropolitan for the 2009 water year:
“We are preparing for the very real possibility of water shortages and rationing throughout the region in 2009. Over the past two years, Metropolitan has depleted more than a third of its water reserves to deal with drought and court-ordered water cutbacks from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. These reserves are rapidly reaching a level that demands careful management.
“While this low initial State Water Project allocation was anticipated, it still sends a solemn message up and down California—we all must immediately reduce water use to stretch available supplies.
“Metropolitan cannot expect any short-term relief from its supply situation if it begins to rain in the Southland, in Northern California or in the Colorado River watershed. The Delta’s serious environmental problems are driving court decisions and regulatory actions that are drastically limiting the ability to move water across the estuary. This is not a short-term problem that will be washed away with a few good storms.
“Throughout its 80-year history, Metropolitan has dependably met the region’s imported water needs. It has been a remarkable era of water stability, thanks to astute decisions that expanded our storage facilities, enhanced conservation and increased local supplies such as recycling. But now we are facing a continuing historic dry cycle and unprecedented environmental challenges in the Delta.
“For many months, Metropolitan has closely monitored weather conditions and water storage levels. If the region faces a shortage in 2009, the district has in place an allocation formula that seeks to equitably distribute supplies, while preserving emergency reserves. Conservation is an absolute necessity. Using less and being more efficient is the new water reality in Southern California.”
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving nearly 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
Economy could force water bills to increase; Higher interest rates on loans hurts Metropolitan Water District
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 17, 2008 at 6:01 amFrom the Ventura County Star:
Keeping Southern California flush with water is challenging enough with the mounting problems of shrinking reservoirs and meager rainfall.
But with Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s short-term loan interest rates shooting through the roof, and the shaky economy’s effect on municipal bonds and investments unknown, another hurdle has risen.
The district that supplies most of Southern California with water has managed so far to deal with the flux in the budget by cutting back on capital costs. But that could change. “If this whole situation blows up, all bets are off,” Brian Thomas, Metropolitan’s chief financial officer told the Ventura County Association of Water Agencies on Thursday at its monthly meeting.
The challenge Metropolitan and other public agencies face is how their debt will be managed in the short- and long-term, and how much access they will have to credit. “If it were to stay as it were today, liquidity would really be tight,” Thomas said.
Read more from the Ventura County Star by clicking here.
Timothy F. Brick re-elected chairman of Metropolitan Water Board of Directors
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 14, 2008 at 6:35 pmFrom Market Watch:
Timothy F. Brick, whose leadership has helped guide one of the nation’s largest regional water agency’s response to unprecedented supply and financial challenges, was unanimously re-elected today as chairman of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
Brick–the city of Pasadena’s representative on the Metropolitan board since June 1985 and the longest tenured MWD board member–will begin a second two-year term as chairman Jan. 1.
“As we scan the horizon for what the water future holds, Metropolitan is facing unparalleled challenges to the reliability and availability of our imported water supplies because of drought, along with the unpredictability of financial markets throughout the nation and worldwide,” Brick said. “I believe a time of great challenges, however, is a time of great opportunity. Through the vision and equanimity our board has displayed in overcoming past adversities, I am confident we will rise to meet the district’s mission of providing a reliable, high-quality and affordable water supply for the 19 million Southern Californians we serve,” he said.
With his re-election, Brick continues as Metropolitan’s 16th chairman in the district’s 80-year history. As the head of Metropolitan’s 37-member board, Brick represents district policies and programs at national, state and local levels. He also presides over monthly meetings of the board and its executive committee. In addition, he appoints members of the district’s seven standing committees, as well as the leaders of any special committee or task forces.
Read more from Market Watch by clicking here.
Report: Metropolitan Water District kept mum about uranium levels
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 13, 2008 at 6:42 amFrom the San Jose Mercury News:
Southern California’s largest water agency moved forward with a groundwater extraction project without disclosing that the water is contaminated with uranium and other toxic chemicals, a newspaper reported Sunday.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California knew eight years ago about a “major stumbling block” with the proposed Hayfield Groundwater Storage Program but failed to inform key officials or the public, according to an Orange County Register investigation.
Water tests in 2000 found that uranium contamination at Hayfield averaged roughly 16 picocuries per liter, with a high of 35 picocuries per liter. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s limit for uranium in drinking water is 20 picocuries per liter. The five largest community water agencies in Orange County report average uranium levels of 1.9 to 9.4 picocuries per liter.
Since those 2000 tests, planners have promoted the Hayfield project in Congress and at a water conference in San Diego. In July, the agency cited Hayfield as an available resource if drought conditions continue, saying nearly 4 billion gallons of water could be retrieved from Hayfield in 2009.
On Tuesday, the agency plans to ask the board to approve preliminary steps to extract water from the site.
Read more from the San Jose Mercury News by clicking here. This article is a shortened version of the original Orange County Register article published last Friday, which you can read in its entirety by clicking here.
OC Register: MWD kept uranium contamination at desert site secret; Metropolitan water district knew of radioactive contamination at Hayfield site for eight years, but says the problem is not a “show-stopper”
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 10, 2008 at 8:46 amFrom the O.C. Register:
Southern California’s largest water agency kept a groundwater project on its books for eight years without disclosing to key officials or the public that the site is contaminated with uranium and other toxic chemicals, an Orange County Register investigation has found.
Documents and interviews show that the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which provides water to 18 million people, knew in 2000 about a “major stumbling block” with the proposed Hayfield Groundwater Storage Program.
Water tests found that uranium contamination at Hayfield averaged roughly 16 picocuries per liter, with a high of 35 picocuries per liter, documents from 2000 show. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s limit for uranium in drinking water is 20 picocuries per liter. Water from the Colorado River, a major source of Metropolitan’s water, generally has 4 picocuries of uranium per liter. The five largest community water agencies in Orange County report uranium levels of 1.9 to 9.4 picocuries per liter, on average.
Since those 2000 tests, water planners have touted the Hayfield project in front of Congress and, earlier this year, at a water conference in San Diego.
In July, agency staff cited Hayfield as a resource available if drought conditions persist in California. Staff told the district board that nearly 4 billion gallons of water – enough to supply the city of Buena Park for a full year – could be retrieved from Hayfield in 2009. On Tuesday, the staff plans to ask the board to approve preliminary steps to extract water from the site.
The top official at the water district says the contamination is isolated and the water can be diluted with clean Colorado River water to the point that it’s not a problem. He said that everyone who needed to know about the contamination was told about it. “It was never communicated as a show stopper because we didn’t believe it was,” General Manager Jeff Kightlinger said.
Read more from the O.C. Register by clicking here.
Boat launches suspended at Diamond Valley
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 4, 2008 at 5:53 amFrom the San Diego Union Tribune:
It certainly was no way to celebrate the five-year anniversary of opening day, but there was the Metropolitan Water District yesterday announcing it was indefinitely suspending private boat launches at Diamond Valley Lake, Southern California’s biggest reservoir situated near Hemet.
Low water supply due to the statewide drought is the reason, they say, so as of dusk on Oct. 13, the lake’s 560-foot ramp will be closed to private launches. MWD’s board of directors will discuss possible options for extending the ramp when it meets Oct. 14 for its regularly scheduled monthly meeting. But with Metropolitan getting as little as 10 percent of its allotment of water from Northern California next year and 450,000 acre-feet (or an estimated 40 percent) less from the Colorado River, the prospect of lake water covering the ramp in the near future isn’t good.
“We lose San Vicente, and now we lose Diamond Valley,” said Ramona angler and legendary big-bass fisherman Mike Long, the lake record holder for bass (16.43 pounds) who was fishing there Thursday. “This is really going to hurt.”
Metropolitan has withdrawn 107,000 acre-feet since January, dropping the lake 24 feet. Plans are to withdraw another 90,000 before years end. Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.
Diamond Valley Lake to suspend boat launches after October 13th due to low water levels
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 3, 2008 at 6:11 amVia Business Wire, this press release from the Metropolitan Water District:
Low Storage Levels Cause Metropolitan to Suspend Public Boat Launches at Diamond Valley Lake After Oct. 13
Clearly demonstrating the need for water conservation throughout Southern California due to the statewide drought and supply challenges, Metropolitan Water District announced plans today to indefinitely suspend private boat launches at the region’s largest reservoir — Diamond Valley Lake — at the close of business Monday, Oct. 13, because of low lake levels.
With storage levels receding at the lake near Hemet in southwest Riverside County as water is drawn to meet the region’s supply needs, Metropolitan projects the reservoir’s water levels will reach the end of the existing boat ramp at the lake’s marina by Oct. 13.
“This action speaks volumes about the seriousness of the water-supply situation Southern California faces next year, particularly should we not rise to meet the water-saving challenge that’s before us,” said Metropolitan General Manager Jeff Kightlinger, cautioning that the lake’s boat launch lanes could close earlier if conditions warrant.
Metropolitan’s Board of Directors will discuss possible options for extending the ramp at its regularly scheduled monthly meeting Oct. 14.
“We understand the public recreation impacts this action will have at the lake, recognized as one of the premier fishing spots in Southern California,” Kightlinger said. “While we all remain proud of Diamond Valley and the recreation it provides, the reservoir’s primary purpose is to help maintain water supply reliability for Metropolitan, our 26 member public agencies and nearly 19 million Southern Californians.”
During the suspension, Diamond Valley Lake will remain open to the public. Starting this weekend, about five additional miles of shoreline will be opened for fishing, for a total of 6 ½ miles of public shoreline fishing. In addition, rental boats at the lake will remain available until it becomes impractical or unsafe to operate and maintain the rental fleet. Kayaks and canoes that meet guidelines will be allowed to launch as long as boarding docks are serviceable.
Nearly doubling the region’s surface water storage capacity when it was dedicated in 2000, Diamond Valley Lake has a storage capacity of 810,000 acre-feet of water, with a surface water elevation of 1,756 feet above sea level. Since last January when the 4,500-surface-acre lake held nearly 597,000 acre-feet, Metropolitan has withdrawn 107,000 acre-feet to meet member agency needs, dropping lake levels 24 feet.
The lake currently holds about 490,000 acre-feet, with plans to draw it down to about 400,000 acre-feet by year’s end. An acre-foot of water is nearly 326,000 gallons, about the amount used by five to seven people in a year.
“Diamond Valley Lake’s exposed shoreline and dry boat ramp serves as a reminder to Southland consumers about the importance of saving water during this drought,” Kightlinger said.
Southern Californians can do their part to help local agencies build and maintain reserves for 2009 by dramatically reducing water use, particularly outdoors, where up to 70 percent of residential use occurs, Kightlinger said. In addition to Metropolitan’s actions, record dry conditions have caused many local water agencies to draw down reservoirs and groundwater supplies.
To help preserve the region’s water reserves, Metropolitan’s board last June accelerated the regional water-saving call by declaring a Water Supply Alert. Metropolitan’s board urged cities, counties, local public water agencies and retailers to achieve extraordinary conservation by adopting and enforcing drought ordinances, accelerating public outreach and messaging, and developing additional local supplies.
Following today’s announcement, Metropolitan is working with Urban Park Concessionaires, the district’s contracted marina operator, to notify annual pass holders and dry storage renters. The California Department of Fish and Game will contact the organizers of scheduled fishing tournaments that will be impacted by the suspension. In addition, Metropolitan will distribute fliers at the marina, DVL Visitor Center and local fishing shops.
Despite the closure of the boat ramp, Diamond Valley’s Lake View Trail will remain open to the public for hiking and biking, as will the North Hills Trail for hiking and horseback riding. The community OctoberFish event will take place at the lake this weekend, Oct. 4-5, in partnership with Urban Parks and Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District.
At the same time, Valley-Wide’s aquatic center will celebrate the closing of its third season. The Western Center for Archaeology and Paleontology also will host its second Science Saturday, drawing elementary and middle school children to the Western Center and Diamond Valley Lake Visitor Center.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving nearly 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
Cadiz Valley desert water-storage plan renewed
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 29, 2008 at 8:54 amFrom Riverside’s Press-Enterprise:
The owners of remote desert land have revived a $200 million plan to store water underground to send to Southern California in dry times, although the region’s major water agency rejected the idea six years ago.
Cadiz Inc., owner of land and water rights in the Cadiz Valley about 40 miles east of Twentynine Palms, has secured a 99-year lease to use railroad right-of-way for a 42-mile pipeline connecting to the Colorado River Aqueduct, said Richard Stoddard, chief executive officer of a sister company, Cadiz Real Estate LLC, in a telephone interview.
Water would be diverted from the aqueduct into the Cadiz pipeline and injected into the ground for storage in an aquifer beneath the company’s land. When needed, the water would be returned to the aqueduct and could meet the needs of an estimated 1.2 million people in Southern California, the company contends.
Cadiz Inc.’s announcement surprised officials at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the major buyer and distributor of water in the region. The district, which built and operates the 242-mile Colorado River Aqueduct that Cadiz wants to use, rejected a similar proposal in 2002 amid environmentalists’ opposition and concerns about costs. In addition, the Colorado River didn’t have surplus water to fill the Cadiz aquifer, district officials said.
“We don’t have any plans to proceed with the (Cadiz) project, and they haven’t discussed their new approach with us,” said Timothy F. Brick, Metropolitan’s board chairman.
And there is a lawsuit pending between Metropolitan & Cadiz regarding the 2002 plans for the project, which Metropolitan backed out of. Read more from the Press-Enterprise by clicking here.
Cadiz announces agreement with Arizona & California Railroad Company for new water pipeline; 99-year lease agreement will provide Southern California with as much as 150,000 acre-feet/year of clean and reliable water
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 18, 2008 at 8:27 amThis press release from Cadiz, Inc.:
Cadiz Inc. (NASDAQ:CDZI) announced today the execution of a 99-year lease agreement with the Arizona & California Railroad Company (ARZC). The agreement will allow Cadiz to utilize a portion of the railroad’s right-of-way for a conveyance pipeline as part of the Cadiz Valley Dry-Year Supply Project.
The Cadiz Valley Dry-Year Supply Project (Project) is a water storage and supply program, which will provide Southern California with as much as 150,000 acre-feet/year (49 billion gallons) of clean and reliable water during years of droughts, emergencies, or other periods of urgent need by utilizing the aquifer system that underlies Cadiz’s 35,000-acre landholding in the Cadiz and Fenner valleys of eastern San Bernardino County. Historically, such dry periods occur in approximately three out of every ten years. In any given dry year, this water would be enough to serve more than 1.2 million people.
This past August, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) announced that it may implement mandatory rationing in 2009 since it does not have enough water to meet demand. Furthermore, state water agencies will receive only 35% of their normal water allocations for 2008 – down from 60% in 2007 – and they expect to only receive between 10% & 20% in 2009.
“Southern California is facing chronic water shortages,” said Richard Stoddard, CEO of Cadiz Real Estate LLC. “The Cadiz Project is an innovative and environmentally responsible way to help meet the region’s need for new water supplies and more water storage.”
As part of the agreement with ARZC, Cadiz now has the right to construct an underground pipeline within the railroad right-of-way to connect the Project area to the Colorado River Aqueduct (CRA) rather crossing U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, as was considered in earlier iterations of the Project. Although this alignment is significantly more costly, it is considered to be more environmentally friendly than routes that would have crossed federal lands because the railroad right-of-way is already active and disturbed.
“We are excited to hear about this new alternative pipeline alignment that would enable the Cadiz Project to deliver water to Southern California,” said Fern Steiner, Chairwoman of the San Diego County Water Authority. “Given the current water crisis affecting the entire region, San Diego County Water Authority is interested in exploring all possible supply opportunities including projects like the Cadiz Project which could accelerate the delivery of much needed supplies to the region.”
“In the ensuing years, the Southern California region has need of projects like Cadiz to responsibly and efficiently meet an unprecedented demand for “new” water supplies. Along with increased recycled water and desalination, the Cadiz Project presents an important alternative that can add to the region’s water supply reliability,” said Floyd Wicks, CEO of American States Water, whose subsidiary, Golden State Water Company, provides retail water service to more than a million Californians. “We are pleased with the news that the Project has advanced to the point which may yield an alternative that could quickly deliver these supplies to the region.”
Construction of the Project facilities could begin as soon as the environmental review for the Project is completed. It is now anticipated that the County of San Bernardino will serve as California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) lead agency and that it will oversee a comprehensive Groundwater Monitoring and Management Plan for the Project. Cadiz is currently engaged in discussions with a group of public water providers interested in participating in the Project.
“I look forward to the County playing the lead role on the Groundwater Monitoring and Management Plan and in helping to implement this important project,” said San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt. Supervisor Mitzelfelt’s District is the largest in San Bernardino County and includes the Cadiz Project area.
The Groundwater Monitoring and Management Plan will be similar to one previously authored by San Bernardino County, the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, BLM, and MWD in 2001.
This Plan was originally designed to alleviate concerns raised by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and it will maintain those principle objectives: protect the desert environment in and surrounding the Project area, ensure groundwater quality, and maintain the long-term yield and storage capacity of the aquifer system.
Information on the Aquifer System
The aquifer system that underlies the Project area has the ability to provide both a new supply of indigenous groundwater and to store approximately 1 million acre-feet of Colorado River water that could be imported from the CRA in “wet” years. This stored water and indigenous groundwater could be delivered to the CRA in “dry” years for distribution to participating water providers throughout Southern California. The aquifer system is recharged by precipitation (both rainfall and snow melt) that occurs within a regional watershed of 1,300 square miles. For this reason, any transfers of indigenous groundwater will be naturally replenished over time.
History of the Project
The Cadiz Project has been a decade-long effort to bring a new, clean and reliable water supply to Southern California. Cadiz’s original partner, MWD, together with the BLM prepared a Final Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement (FEIR/ FEIS) for the Project in 2001. The FEIS for the Project, including a right-of-way for the conveyance pipeline, was approved by the US Department of the Interior (DOI) in a highly supportive Record of Decision issued in August 2002:
“By providing storage of surplus Colorado River water, and the export of indigenous groundwater under specified conditions, the Cadiz Project will help ensure needed dry-year water supply reliability and will assist California in efficiently managing its water supplies. Future water supply needs in Metropolitan’s Southern California service area, without implementation of the Cadiz Project, would substantially exceed demands by the year 2020. The public benefits of the Cadiz Project are compelling reasons for the Department of the Interior to cooperate to the greatest extent possible in assisting California in meeting its water supply goals.”
However, MWD refused to accept the right-of-way offered by the DOI and decided not to proceed with the Project in October 2002. MWD is currently facing unprecedented water shortages, which would have been significantly mitigated by implementation of the Cadiz Project in 2002.
Metropolitan initially approved a $1-billion, 50-year project to pump water from the remote aquifer, as well as use it for storage of surplus Colorado River water. However, environmentalists vowed to fight, citing concern that Cadiz had overestimated the amount of water in the aquifer, and that the operations would dry up the natural springs vital to the survival of desert wildlife, such as the bighorn sheep and the desert tortoise.
Eventually, Metropolitan backed off the project and a lawsuit was filed in 2002. Just recently, a trial date was set for May 5th of this year, pending the outcome of settlement meetings, but that trial did not take place. The most recent update on the lawsuit I can find says this (from an SEC filing)
The initial mandatory settlement conference was held on April 30, 2008. Following the conference, Judge Johnson issued a 30 day stay of all proceedings while Judge Lichtman continues his ongoing mediation. If the parties do not ultimately reach an agreement through the settlement conference process and Judge Lichtman declares an impasse, the Court will set a new trial date. As is normal in such legal proceedings, applicable dates will be set and, if necessary, revised by the Court based upon availability within the Court’s calendar.
For more information on the Cadiz project:
- Cadiz, Inc. website
- L.A. Times: MWD OKs Plan to Pump Desert Aquifer’s Water, April 11, 2001
- Will the Met wring the desert dry?, from High Country News, May 21, 2001
Massive mechanical mole surfaces from nearly five-year journey under mountain
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 21, 2008 at 6:19 am
From Reuters:
A massive mechanical mole surfaced on Wednesday from a nearly 5-year journey under mountains in the final stages of a $1.2 billion tunnel project that will supply extra water to drought-hit Southern California.
The 3.8-mile (6.1-km) tunnel, 1,500 feet below the San Bernardino Mountains, is the last piece of a 44-mile (71-km), three-tunnel system that will bring an additional 650 million gallons a day to 19 million Southern Californians, water officials said.
Twenty years in the making, the tunnels will almost triple the amount of water in Southern California’s half-empty reservoirs when the project is up and running in 2010.
“We’re not just breaking through a mountain, we are breaking through to the future,” said Tim Brick, chairman of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California board, as the mechanical mole, a tunnel-boring machine, blasted through the final feet of the rocky mountainside.
Read the rest of the Reuters article by clicking here.
From Metropolitan’s Press Release:
“For those of us who have followed this project since it first appeared on the drawing board 20 years ago, this is truly a thrilling moment,” said Metropolitan board Chairman Timothy F. Brick. “This is a landmark achievement for the Inland Feeder, a vital link in securing a more reliable, higher-quality water supply for Southern Californians.”
The 3.8-mile Arrowhead West Tunnel is the last of three needed for the 44-mile Inland Feeder, a high-capacity, gravity-fed water delivery system stretching from the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains to Metropolitan’s Colorado River Aqueduct in the Riverside County community of San Jacinto. Mining on the other two project tunnels–the 4.3-mile Arrowhead East Tunnel and 8-mile Badlands Tunnel–was completed last May and in July 2001, respectively.
When completed in 2010, the Inland Feeder will provide Metropolitan the flexibility to deliver water when available from Northern California during wet periods–primarily during the winter when it rains.
The feeder also will improve the quality of Southern California’s water supply by allowing more uniform blending of water from Northern California with Colorado River supplies, which have a higher mineral content.“Southern California is facing increasingly limited periods of time when water is accessible in Northern California and can be delivered to our region,” Brick said. “So when water is available, we must be prepared to move large volumes of water during a relatively short time and then store it for use during dry periods and emergencies.”
Read the full text of the Metropolitan Water District press release from Marketwatch by clicking here.
Tunneling nearly complete for Inland Empire water project
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 20, 2008 at 6:01 am
From the Los Angeles Times:
Even in the world of big-ticket water projects, where delays, cost overruns and controversy are frequent, the inelegantly named Inland Feeder Project was in a class of its own.
In its two decades, the project has faced fire, flood, regulatory disputes, difficult geology, grouting problems, earthquake considerations, a switch of contractors and more. At one point it was $100 million over budget. The boss at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California jokes that the project suffered everything but a plague of locusts.
Still, the agency insisted it needed a higher-capacity system to bring water from Northern California to its massive reservoir, Diamond Valley Lake, outside Hemet. A new project manager was brought in three years ago with a simple command: Failure is not an option.
And today, several years behind the original schedule, the $1.2-billion project will complete its last bit of tunneling: a four-mile stretch known as the Arrowhead West Tunnel in the San Bernardino Mountains. Officials will cheer as an 820-ton, 450-foot tunnel boring machine punches through at Devil Canyon, near Cal State San Bernardino, where the California Aqueduct will eventually connect.
Then it’s all downhill, literally. Set for completion in 2010, the 44-mile route includes 16 miles of tunneling in three sections and 28 miles of underground piping that will empty into an already built canal. From there, it will travel 10 miles to Diamond Valley. The idea is this: In the future, water will arrive from the California Aqueduct in fast bursts due to climate change and shifting snow patterns. The smooth, faucet-like flow will become more like blasts from a fire hose.
More from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
From Riverside’s Press-Enterprise:
Forest officials were concerned that the groundwater seeping through the tunnel as it was being drilled could affect springs that keep streams running on the surface through the canyons.
“When you start draining groundwater, springs at that elevation will dry up,” said Gar Abbas, a forest fisheries biologist. The springs feed creeks used by amphibians and other animals, and they keep vegetation alive for birds. “If you impact the groundwater, then everything starts to die off, and you impact an entire ecosystem,” Abbas said.
Since then, Abbas and the tribe have met with MWD on a monthly basis, and Abbas said he is more than satisfied with how things have worked out.
Monitoring of the springs and creeks by forest officials and the water district has shown that the tunneling technique was successful, Abbas said.
As for the San Manuel Band, officials are “unable to comment on any aspect of the project at this time,” said Jacob Coin, a spokesman for the tribe. He said he could not elaborate.
More from Riverside’s Press-Enterprise by clicking here.
Metropolitan’s & Westland’s purchase of Yolo bypass lands has some worried
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 3, 2008 at 12:24 pmFrom the Sacramento Bee:
Southern California’s biggest water agencies are putting down roots in the Yolo Bypass. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Westlands Water District are buying land and jointly planning restoration projects in the bypass to protect their access to water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, officials told The Bee.
The agencies are the two largest diverters of Delta water, contributing to the decline of threatened Delta smelt and other fish. A related disruption of the Delta’s food chain has prompted fears that an ecosystem collapse is under way, which could affect water quality for millions. The water agencies hope to protect their diversions by creating more habitat for fish to thrive.
This new interest has local residents worried. They fear the water titans have other motives, such as draining groundwater from the area or somehow seizing Sacramento River water rights. “The purchase of land by out-of-county water districts makes us nervous,” said Yolo County Supervisor Mike McGowan. “Until we see some real legitimate response from these entities being willing to work with us, we’ll continue to be paranoid about it.”
Read the full text of this article from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
With major water line back in service, Metropolitan thanks 12 million consumers for their water-saving efforts
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 1, 2008 at 6:08 amFrom Business Wire:
Two days ahead of schedule, the major pipeline that carries imported water to much of Los Angeles County was returned to service early this morning after around-the-clock repairs were completed.
“We sincerely appreciate the assistance of consumers throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties who took extra steps to save water at their homes and businesses since we shut down 12 miles of the Sepulveda Feeder June 21 and asked the public for its help,” said Debra C. Man, Metropolitan Water District’s assistant general manager and chief operating officer.
Metropolitan returned the 45-mile Sepulveda Feeder to service at 5 a.m. today after water quality in the pipeline was tested following the repairs. During the shutdown, consumers and businesses in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, Torrance, Fullerton, Compton, Santa Ana, Anaheim, and cities served by Central Basin Municipal Water District, West Basin Municipal Water District, and Municipal Water District of Orange County were asked to cut their water use to help meet demands and maintain reserves.
“Despite temperatures reaching over 100 degrees early on during the shutdown and hot weather again this past weekend, no one in Los Angeles or Orange County—or elsewhere in our six-county service region, for that matter—was without water due to the pipeline shutdown and repairs,” Man said.
“The public water agencies we serve in the affected areas decreased their calls on us for wholesale water by effectively managing local supplies and system storage, and at the local retail level it appeared that—despite the hot temperatures when water use usually increases—conservation held levels constant,” Man said.
“While the Sepulveda Feeder repairs are now completed, and we appreciate everyone’s help over the past 10 days, we need to remind the region that Governor Schwarzenegger has officially proclaimed that California is in a drought and urged everyone to conserve water every day,” Man said.
Metropolitan’s 8-foot-diameter Sepulveda Feeder pipeline, much of it made of reinforced concrete, carries water from Metropolitan’s Joseph Jensen Water Treatment Plant in Granada Hills south to the Palos Verdes Reservoir. Electric-current testing last March showed three areas in the Westside where the reinforcing wire imbedded in the concrete pipe had deteriorated, causing concern that internal pressure could cause the weak spots to rupture.
Replacement sections of welded steel were fabricated at Metropolitan’s shop at La Verne to repair deteriorated sections of pipe under Sepulveda Boulevard adjoining the Los Angeles National Cemetery in Westwood, and in Ladera Heights at 64th Street and Le Doux Road. Another section of pipe, under Slauson Avenue at Hannum Avenue adjoining Fox Hills Mall, was repaired with layers of carbon fiber lining.
“Metropolitan especially wants to thank the neighbors near these repair sites for their patience and understanding over the past 10 days,” Man said. “Their understanding of the urgent necessity for these repairs, and their patience throughout the around-the-clock work, has been exceptional.
“We also extend our appreciation to the many state and local permitting agencies and utilities, elected officials, and homeowner groups with whom we worked closely and cooperatively over recent months to plan and execute these repairs,” Man said. “Their understanding and assistance has been invaluable.”
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving 18 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
Urgent water conservation requested in Los Angeles, Orange Counties through July 2 for major regional pipeline repairs
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 18, 2008 at 6:18 amAn urgent request for heightened water conservation in Los Angeles and Orange counties over the next two weeks is being made by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California as it begins critical repairs to a major regional water pipeline that serves as many as 12 million people.
“In order to prevent what could be a severe break in our Sepulveda Feeder pipeline, we will be working 24-hours a day to install new pipe sections and are asking residents of Los Angeles and Orange counties for heightened conservation over the next two weeks so that no one has to go without running water in their homes and businesses,” said Metropolitan Assistant General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Debra Man.
The pipeline stretches from Granada Hills in the San Fernando Valley south to Palos Verdes, and is a major source of imported water to Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, Torrance, Fullerton, Compton, Santa Ana, Anaheim, and cities served by the Central Basin Municipal Water District, West Basin Municipal Water District, and Municipal Water District of Orange County.
“We are confident that with heightened water conservation in Los Angeles and Orange counties, and by moving water further west from our treatment plants in La Verne and Yorba Linda, that we’ll be able to prevent anyone from losing water service at their home or business,” Man said.
“We are asking that people be especially cautious with their water use beginning June 21 through July 2, when we expect to have the pipeline back in service,” Man said. “Since discovering four significantly weakened sections in the pipeline, we have moved quickly to prepare for this major repair project. We needed to act as soon as possible to prevent a pipeline emergency, and also to get the work done before the hotter temperatures of summer and early fall.”
Residents are asked to postpone washing vehicles (except at commercial car washes using recycled water); irrigate lawns and landscaping only on alternate days; take shorter showers, and delay using dishwashers and clothes washers until there is a full load. Additional water-conservation information and tips can be found at bewaterwise.com.
The Sepulveda Feeder is a 45-mile-long underground line of 96-inch (8-feet) diameter pipe—37 miles of reinforced concrete and 8 miles of welded steel—that runs from Metropolitan’s Joseph Jensen Water Treatment Plant in Granada Hills south to Metropolitan’s Palos Verdes Reservoir, with numerous connections to other Metropolitan and retail-agency pipelines along the way.
Reinforced concrete pipe has pre-stressed wire embedded in the concrete to provide strength, but the wire occasionally deteriorates and causes a weak spot that internal pressure can burst through. Tests of the pipeline in March 2008 found four spots of immediate concern: two under Sepulveda Boulevard outside the main entrance to Los Angeles National Cemetery; one under Slauson Avenue at Hannum Avenue in Culver City; and one under 64th Street near Le Doux Road in Ladera Heights.
Replacement pipe sections of welded steel were fabricated at Metropolitan’s machine shop in La Verne, and are being brought to the work sites at Westwood and Ladera Heights. A 12-mile section of the pipeline will be blocked off, the line drained, and around-the-clock work will begin June 21. Pieces of steel pipeline will be moved into the pipeline at Westwood and Ladera Heights and welded into place; carbon fiber lining will be installed in the Culver City pipe section to strengthen it. Work is expected to be completed by July 2, when the line is re-filled and samples are tested.
Metropolitan employees have notified residents, businesses, municipal and other government officials to help mitigate the impacts of the repair project. Nevertheless, one lane of southbound Sepulveda Boulevard traffic will be closed—one will remain open—between Montana and Constitution avenues, adjoining the National Cemetery in Westwood. In addition, on the west side of the freeway, Church Lane between Burnham and Waterford streets will be closed.
The divided, northbound lanes of Hannum Avenue traffic, between Slauson and Jefferson, will be closed and traffic rerouted; the southbound lanes will remain open. In addition, a block of 64th Street at Le Doux Road will be closed to through traffic.
“We certainly appreciate the understanding and cooperation of residents and businesses in these communities and their increased water-conservation efforts over the next two weeks as we undertake this urgently needed project,” Man said.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving 18 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
In The Spotlight: Southern California readies for a drought
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 15, 2008 at 6:44 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
The giant Metropolitan Water District of Southern California declared a “water supply alert” last week in an effort to get the 18 million people it serves to conserve.
Cities in the district that haven’t implemented local drought ordinances were asked to adopt measures such as setting up hotlines for reporting leaky sprinklers or people who hose driveways. Other recommendations include asking residents to water yards less, take shorter showers and wash only full loads of laundry.
The district, the wholesale supplier of water to urban centers in six counties in Southern California, warned that mandatory rations could go into effect throughout the district next summer if residents did not cut back on water use.
Tuesday’s alert follows the governor’s June 4 declaration of a drought and is the last step before water rations and fines for noncompliance, said Bob Muir, a spokesman for the water district. In 2009, the district “will assess reserve levels and supply from the Colorado River and the state,” Muir said. “If dry conditions continue, we could move to rations by next spring.”
Read more from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Metropolitan Board declares water supply alert; asks local water agencies to adopt & enforce water-saving ordinances & restrictions
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 11, 2008 at 7:38 amFrom the New York Times:
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California issued a water alert on Tuesday, asking communities to modernize and toughen their water conservation rules. The district, the wholesale supplier of water to urban centers in six counties in Southern California, warned that mandatory rations could go into effect throughout the district next summer if the region’s 19 million or so urban residents did not cut back on water use.
Tuesday’s alert follows the governor’s declaration of a drought last week and is the last step before water rations and fines for noncompliance, said Bob Muir, a spokesman for the water district. In 2009, the district “will assess reserve levels and supply from the Colorado River and the state,” Mr. Muir said. “If dry conditions continue, we could move to rations by next spring.”
In a normal year, California’s water reserves are at 2.2 million acre feet. Last year, the water district pulled half a million acre feet from the reserves, said Jeff Kightlinger, the district’s general manager. Mr. Kightlinger said he expected to match that amount this year if city ordinances and outreach efforts did not reduce demand. That would bring state reserves to emergency levels in the next two years, he said.
Read the full text of this article from the New York Times by clicking here.
From the Daily Breeze:
In El Segundo on Tuesday, South Bay lawmaker Ted Lieu urged residents to conserve whenever possible. Take five-minute showers, opt for a car wash rather than running the hose in the driveway at home and switch to low-flow toilets and showerheads, said Lieu, D-El Segundo.
“It’s incredibly difficult to get people to think about water conservation,” the assemblyman said. “They go home and turn on their faucets and water comes out.”
Making changes this summer could prevent the need for rationing in the future and help control rate increases a couple of years from now, he said. “I encourage all cities to pass ordinances urging residents to start conserving water,” Lieu added.
The same message came just hours later from the MWD’s governing board, which declared a water supply alert within its six-county service area. The agency is urging cities, counties, public water agencies and retailers to conserve, adopt and enforce drought ordinances, accelerate public outreach campaigns and develop new local water supplies.
MWD General Manager Jeff Kightlinger said in a statement that “the need for conservation is very real,” and that consumers “need to realize that water rationing looms should voluntary water-saving efforts not prove enough.”
Read the full text of the coverage from the Daily Breeze by clicking here.
Read the full text of Metropolitan Water District’s press release by clicking here. Brief coverage from the North County Times by clicking here.
Metropolitan Board declares water supply alert throughout So. Cal. to help sustain reserves; MWD board asks local water agencies, retailers to adopt, enforce water-saving ordinances, restrictions
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 10, 2008 at 3:47 pmFrom Business Wire:
Less than a week after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a drought statewide, Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors today ramped up the water conservation call throughout its six-county service area by declaring a Water Supply Alert in Southern California.
To help preserve the region’s water storage reserves, Metropolitan’s board urged cities, counties, local public water agencies and retailers to achieve extraordinary conservation by adopting and enforcing drought ordinances, accelerating public outreach and messaging, and developing additional local supplies.
“In declaring this Water Supply Alert, we are confident that consumers and businesses throughout the Southland will take additional steps to reduce water use and eliminate waste,” said Metropolitan board Chairman Timothy F. Brick. “In the past, residents have responded to a call for action. We are depending on their help again to stave off the need to allocate supplies in the future,” Brick said.
Metropolitan General Manager Jeff Kightlinger said the board’s acceleration of the regional water-saving call is aimed at increasing awareness of the Southland’s critical supply conditions and the immediate need for conservation. Metropolitan’s main sources of imported supplies are facing unprecedented challenges because of record dry conditions for eight of the last nine years along the Colorado River and deteriorating environmental conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, he noted.
Since 2003, Metropolitan’s Colorado River supplies have been diminished by as much as half after California reduced its use of river water because of drought. The district’s State Water Project supplies from Northern California have been cut by nearly 30 percent this year because of dry conditions and court-ordered pumping restrictions in the Delta to protect endangered fish.
To meet current water demands, Metropolitan and its member agencies are withdrawing supplies from surface and groundwater storage, leaving the region’s reserves vulnerable to continued low-levels of imported water and emergencies, such as a major earthquake. Over the past two years, Metropolitan has drawn down its stored dry-year reserves by nearly half.
“This is a serious situation,” Kightlinger said. “The need for conservation is very real, particularly with the governor’s drought announcement last Wednesday. Now that the drought is official, consumers need to realize that water rationing looms should voluntary water-saving efforts not prove enough, particularly if we faced shortages that compelled our board to implement the district’s recently adopted supply allocation plan. But just as real as the drought is, so too are the possibilities we can avoid rationing. We have all the tools for reducing water use. Now we have more incentive,” Kightlinger said.
While several cities and water agencies in Southern California are already implementing local drought ordinances, Metropolitan’s Water Supply Alert resolution encourages the remaining entities to institute or develop as soon as possible their own ordinances and restrictions.
Measures that could be incorporated into local drought ordinances include restrictions on the hours of watering outdoors, where up to 70 percent of water is used; prohibitions on landscape irrigation runoff; tiered rate structures that promote conservation; provisions for water-efficient landscapes in new construction and landscape retrofits; and hotlines and other mechanisms for the public to report wasteful water practices.
If the call for immediate conservation successfully motivates residents and businesses to save water, Metropolitan estimates the demand for imported supplies could reduce by about 200,000 acre-feet of water over the next 12 months. (An acre-foot is nearly 326,000 gallons, about the amount used by two typical Southland families in and around their homes in a year.)
“There are so many small things we can all do that collectively could save the region the needed water that can help us withstand this round of shortages,” Brick said. “A good place to look for water-saving tips and rebates is our Web site, bewaterwise.com, which has become a leading destination for conservation information.”
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving 18 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
MWD poised to announce Southern California water-supply alert today
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 10, 2008 at 5:53 amFrom Riverside’s Press-Enterprise:
Board members of Southern California’s largest urban water supplier are expected today to adopt a water-supply alert, asking residents and businesses to start cutting back on usage and asking cities to crack down on those who don’t. If not enough water is saved over the next year, rationing could begin by next summer, officials warn.
“All of this is an attempt to stretch out our reserves and make sure we don’t run them into the ground,” said Jeff Kightlinger, general manager of Metropolitan Water District, which serves almost 19 million people in Southern California.
The agency has been tapping those reserves, such as Diamond Valley Lake near Hemet, because of an eight-year drought on the Colorado River and court-ordered restrictions on pumping water from the Sacramento Delta to protect a fish species threatened with extinction.
An MWD committee on Monday endorsed the water-supply alert despite arguments by Randy Record, a San Jacinto Valley farmer, and other board members that the agency should be taking stronger steps. Record said MWD could help member agencies adopt tiered rates that lead to higher bills for those who use more water. “We just continue to do outreach, and I don’t think that’s enough,” he said. “It certainly helps, but this is a new ball game.”
Read the full text of this story from Riverside’s Press-Enterprise by clicking here.
Metropolitan to consider ending agricultural discount program
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 9, 2008 at 10:02 pmFrom the North County Times, more bad news for Southern California growers:
Growers who bought discounted water under the Interim Agricultural Water Program have had deliveries cut by 30 percent, something they agreed to in the event of shortages when they signed up. Locally, growers have cut down thousands of citrus and avocado trees to save water.
The cut in water deliveries was supposed to be a rare event, but the water supply outlook has worsened so the cuts are expected to happen repeatedly. So Metropolitan is considering whether to make changes to the program.
The discount program would be studied for six months, and a final recommendation brought back to Metropolitan’s board of directors for action in December, under a staff proposal. Alternatives include keeping the program as it is, phasing out the program, changing the pricing structure and eliminating the discounts altogether.
Read the full text of the story from the North County Times by clicking here.
Coverage from around Southern California: Metropolitan Water District urges conservation; “What we really need is extraordinary conservation and implementation of all the short-term measures we can do to get us through the rest of the calendar year 2008,” says Kightlinger
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 7, 2008 at 11:00 amFrom the Los Angeles Daily News:
To prevent Southern California from drawing down emergency water supplies amid a drought, cities throughout the area are under pressure to hike rates for water hogs and enact tough new rules that limit everything from lawn irrigation to hosing down sidewalks.
Earlier this week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought. Now the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California - the wholesaler that sells water to cities and water agencies throughout the region - is expected to declare a water supply alert next week. If passed by the MWD board, all 26 cities and agencies served by the MWD would be urged to enact drought ordinances that require conservation and set higher rates for water wasters. “What we really need is extraordinary conservation and implementation of all the short-term measures we can do to get us through the rest of the calendar year 2008,” said MWD General Manager Jeff Kightlinger.
Many of those measures are voluntary, and the MWD is leaving it up to individual cities and water agencies to set penalties for water wasters. If the region still doesn’t conserve enough water and the drought continues into 2009 - as expected - the MWD could ration water next summer. The MWD hasn’t rationed water since the 1991 drought.
Read the full text of this article from the Los Angeles Daily News by clicking here.
From the Los Angeles Times:
Though cities cannot be penalized for ignoring the alert, if they tap reserves to dangerous levels, the MWD could move to Step 3 of its plan: allocating cities a set amount of water and fining those that exceed the limit. Cities often pass the fines on to consumers through rate increases and mandatory restrictions on water use. “If we can’t get the right kind of response out of the public, at that point we have to move to more severe measures,” Kightlinger said. The earliest the MWD could start allocating water, if the alert is issued next week, would be spring 2009, Kightlinger said.
The agency already plans to increase the rate it charges cities by 10% for each of the next three calendar years, a spokesman said. The last time the board issued a similar alert, in 1991, residents reduced consumption by 30%, mostly through indoor measures such as installing water-saving shower heads, Kightlinger said. Now the agency is encouraging residents to conserve in their yards by installing sprinklers, sweeping instead of spraying driveways and planting drought-resistant shrubs.
Even if this year turns out to be wetter than expected, residents still need to conserve, Fellow said. “The snowpack this year was good, we had some rain, but that’s only a dent” in the drought, he said. “It’s time for the three-minute shower, time to stop letting the tap run when you brush your teeth. We want these to become permanent changes in Southern California.”
Read the full text of this article from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
From the North County Times:
The problem is, in the wake of years of drought in the Sierra Nevada and Rockies and court-ordered reductions in water deliveries aimed at protecting an endangered fish, Metropolitan will be able to deliver only about three-quarters of the water that it normally delivers.
Typically, said General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger, Metropolitan sells 2.2 million acre-feet of water a year, but in 2008, deliveries are expected to total 1.7 million acre-feet —- about the same as last year. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, and by definition the amount it would take to cover an acre of land to a depth of one foot. It is roughly enough to supply two Southern California families for a year.
Because of the cutback, Metropolitan has had to draw down its emergency supplies in area reservoirs, such as Diamond Valley Lake near Temecula. “We consider those to be pretty sacred,” Kightlinger said, saying the district must leave something to fall back on in the event that an earthquake paralyzes the region. It could take six months, he said, to repair aqueducts that deliver water from the Colorado River or Northern California, and the region must have a way to continue supplying water in the meantime.
Such emergency storage exceeded 3 million acre-feet a couple years ago. But it is down to 2.2 million —- and it continues to decline, Kightlinger said. And he said Metropolitan can’t expect to replenish that storage in a wet year because a federal judge last August ordered a 30 percent reduction in deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to protect a tiny fish, the delta smelt, that has a propensity to be sucked into water pumps.
Federal biologists are in the process of examining just how severe the predicament is for the fish. And Metropolitan officials expect that the 30 percent cutback will remain in place for at least a couple more years, if not much longer. Consequently, they said, the region may simply have to learn to live with less, permanently.
“Conservation isn’t needed just in dry years,” said Metropolitan Vice Chairman Anthony Fellow of the San Gabriel Valley, in the conference call. “We’re coming to the point in Southern California life where there’s no room for water waste, whether today, tomorrow or in the coming years. Conservation is going to have to become the new norm. … We’re running out of water, period.”
Read the full text of this article from the North County Times by clicking here.
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