Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors set a February public hearing for a possible rate increase in the Camanche Water lmprovement District Number 7, and also set a workshop Thursday to field questions about the proposed Upcountry “Gravity Supply Line.” The Agency will hold an information meeting for customers of the Central Amador Water Project on proposed improvements to the area’s water transmission system 6:30 p.m. Thursday, January 7th at the AWA office on Ridge Road. CAWP customers were mailed a flyer summarizing water transmission issues and proposed options for improvements the week of December 21st. CAWP provides wholesale and retail treated water. The AWA board last Thursday decided to keep the workshop as scheduled, and directed staff to work on a proposed financial plan for the Gravity Supply Line. They also approved a revised financial plan for the Camanche improvement project, and will give notice sometime this week for a public hearing on a related rate increase. The hearing is set for February 22nd. The project would build a storage tank, at the Camanche Water District Number 7. The agency has already spent about $100,000 toward the Camanche water tank project. The AWA board discussed funds already spent on the 2 projects, including about $930,000 on the Gravity Supply Line, which Interim General Manger Gene Mancebo said was spent over about 10 years, on studies and pre-design. He said about half of that was spent in order to qualify for federal stimulus funding, because the GSL project had to be “shovel ready.” He said the $930,000 is in a 30-year loan, at 1 percent. He told the board that there is a need to modify rate increases for Central Amador Water Project customers, with or without the Gravity Supply Line project. The agency has filed a “negative mitigated declaration” for the GSL, and directed staff to speak with consultants PBS&J on whether comments received on the Negative Declaration will require more environmental work. Mancebo said a full “Environmental Impact Report” on the GSL could cost $100,000 or more and they could “double or triple that depending on comments.” Staff will also talk with agency attorney Steve Kronick about the “reasonableness of repayment of internal loans” to repay the $930,000 already spent on the Gravity Supply Line. They will also seek clarification on whether a repair of existing pumps serving Central Amador would require a new EIR under state law. Mancebo said the pump stations, being an existing facility, could have improvements without a new EIR, and “would not face the same demands as the Gravity Supply Line.” AWA Finance Manager Mike Lee said the agency has not changed Central Amador Water Project’s rates since 2006, which were set based on a 3-year financial plan approved in 2004. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.