EXHIBIT 1-A
Draft Text for
District Newsletter
1.
2. Status of Draft Cease and Desist Order – Preparations by District to Enable Community Compliance
3. Progress on Water Supply Project Development
4. Expanded Rebate Program – Turf Replacement
5. Water Year 2009 Status – Production,
Conservation Savings, Rainfall
To
be submitted at October 14, 2009 Committee Meeting
Topic:
In February 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger proclaimed a statewide drought emergency and called for a statewide water conservation program to begin immediately. To water users in the MPWMD, the conservation challenge is not new; it’s a way of life that has yielded a 20% reduction in community water use since 1987. Per capita water use is 80 gallons per day below the state average.
The MPWMD is not affected by
cutbacks in water deliveries from other parts of the state. This area is served exclusively by local
water sources: the
In Water Year 2009, rainfall
recorded in the
Even if abundant rainfall is
received in 2010, the “regulatory” drought will continue. This “regulatory” drought is due to state and
judicial decisions that limit production from local water sources. Reductions in pumping from the
The community achieved the
state-ordered 20 percent reduction in 13 of the past 14 years through
compliance with strict conservation measures. Pumping in the
Only development of new water supplies will alleviate the regulatory drought. The Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project developed by the MPWMD in cooperation with California American Water is fully operational. The MPWMD has investigated development of a desalination plant, and is working with the Water for Monterey County Coalition to pursue a regional water supply project (see page __).
Statewide, the “Save Our Water” campaign is focused on conservation education http://www.saveourH2O.org. District staff participate in state-level meetings regarding development of the proposed 20x2020 Conservation Plan that would divide the state into ten regions, and require each region to reduce per capita urban water use by 20 percent by the year 2020 http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/water_issues/hot_topics/20x2020/index.shtml.
Topic: Status of Draft Cease and Desist Order –
Preparations by District to Enable Community Compliance
An important decision that could affect all water users in
the MPWMD is pending before the State Water Resources Control Board (State
Board). Will the State Board decide to adopt
the September 2009 Draft Cease and Desist Order (CDO) and require significant
reductions in water diversions from the
The CDO would require California American Water (Cal-Am) to
incrementally reduce its water diversions from
The MPWMD and Cal Am are developing strategies to minimize the impact of the CDO on the community, should the State Board implement the order. One option is that the MPWMD could activate advanced stages of its seven-phase Water Conservation and Standby Rationing Program to enable water users to ramp up conservation efforts and achieve water use reductions.
The State Board first issued a draft CDO in January 2008 due
to concerns about adverse effects on fish and wildlife resulting from Cal-Am’s
unauthorized illegal diversions. The
draft CDO asserted that Cal-Am had not complied with the State Board’s 1995
decision in Order 95-10. That decision
determined that Cal-Am was producing 10,730 acre-feet of water from the
Cal-Am was ordered to temporarily reduce its pumping by 20 percent to 11,285 acre-feet per year until a new water project could be developed that would allow for termination of its unauthorized diversions. Production has remained below the 11,285 limit in 13 out of the past 14 years. However, sufficient new water sources have not been developed to allow full compliance with Order 95-10.
Topic: Progress on Water Supply
Project Development
A priority for the MPWMD is
development of new water projects that will reduce the community’s dependence
on
Aquifer Storage and
Recovery
The MPWMD
Phase 1 Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project (ASR) is designed to utilize the
Seaside Groundwater basin for storage of up to 2,426 acre-feet of water per
year. Water is diverted from the
Since ASR
planning and testing began in 1998, over 2,100 acre-feet of
Seawater Desalination
The result
of field studies completed in late 2009 indicate that development of a
desalination facility using source water from the Seaside Groundwater Basin may
not be feasible. The proposed MPWMD
95-10 Desalination Project was projected to produce between 2,800 and 4,500
acre-feet of water per year from the
Cooperation with
Other Agencies
The MPWMD ASR Project is included as a component of the proposed Coastal Water Project and the regional project alternative formulated by the Water For Monterey County Coalition. Aside from development of its ASR and desalination projects, MPWMD is actively coordinating with other agencies on water supply solutions. MPWMD has entered into memorandums of agreement regarding cooperation on water supply project planning with the Marina Coast Water District, Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency and the Monterey County Water Resource Agency. In addition, the MPWMD participates on the Water For Monterey County Coalition, and jointly funded the group’s efforts to develop the Regional Project. In 2009, the MPWMD Board funded development of a study that evaluates the economic and cost allocation issues associated with the proposed Coastal Water Project and the Regional Project that can be viewed at _________.
Topic:
Expanded Rebate Program – Turf Replacement
Receive cash for replacing your lawn with drought tolerant plants or synthetic turf, and save money on your water bill! You don’t have a lawn? Replace your washing machine with a high efficiency model to receive a cash rebate. Own a business? Obtain a rebate by replacing your water-cooled ice machine with an air-cooled one, or install a high efficiency toilet or smart irrigation system controller.
The MPWMD rebate program extends to residential and commercial projects, and encompasses a wide range of water using fixtures and appliances such as high efficiency toilets and urinals, ultra-low consumption dishwashers, instant access hot water heaters and cooling tower conductivity controllers. Rebates are also offered for installation of cistern water tanks and outdoor irrigation equipment.
The list of devices that qualify for a rebate was recently expanded, and the rebate amounts were increased for some fixtures. Water saving devices that are required to be installed upon construction or resale of a property will not qualify for a rebate. Contact the District for a complete list of qualifying devices.
Take
advantage of cash rebates to help fund improvements to your home or business,
lower your water bill, and maintain community water use at levels established
by the State to protect the
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