Monday, 08 February 2010 00:19

AWA Board Directs Staff on BMPs for Conservation Plan

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slide4-awa_board_directs_staff_on_bmps_for_conservation_plan.pngAmador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors directed staff late in January to look at varying levels of implementing state “Best Management Practices,” for conservation, and also executed an agreement on a planning grant for a regional water reclamation program. Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo said the board directed staff to look at greater and lesser implementations of a Water Conservation Plan, due to budgeting issues. The board directed staff to work on 2 alternatives to implement state “Best Management Practices.” Mancebo said 1 alternative will look at ways in which rate structures can be used to reduce impacts on AWA ratepayers. Another alternative will plan for the event that the agency received grant money to fund the use of Best Management Practices. The board said the latter alternative would include what the agency would like to do with management practices, if it had the funding. The agency faces the implementation of 14 Best Management Practices that were mandated by Assembly Bill 1420 last year. The BMPs include programs such as surveys to monitor for leaks; looking at ways to work with property owners to reduce water usage; and rebates for the use of high-efficiency toilets or appliances. The board also directed consultant Leslie Dumas of RMC Water and Environment “to see what we could do about reducing the costs.” Mancebo said: “We haven’t seen much in the way of grants so far, but we have heard there may be grant money coming.” He said if there is no grant money, they still want to carry on, but to not impact ratepayers. In its last January meeting, the AWA Board also executed an agreement with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, with a slight amendment, because of a delay in the arrival of the funding, which changed deadlines in the original grant award notification. Mancebo said “with the California budget crisis, a lot of programs were put on hold, and this was no exception.” The board discussed a future “kick-off” for the planning project, which will plan a regional water reclamation program, to be used as a blueprint for other regions in the state. Mancebo said “stakeholders” that are “interested in regional wastewater and reclamation” would be invited to participate. He said that could include anybody from the cities, the counties, agricultural users, planners, and even environmental groups. The program will “look at how we might improve reclamation in Amador County.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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