Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors voted June 21 to ask Lake Camanche Village customers for more money to repair and operate their aging water system, with the hope that Amador County may pitch in funding and help reduce the need for a repair surcharge.

AWA General Manager Gene MAncebo said “customers will receive a rate increase notice for a one-year-only, 10 percent water rate increase to make up a current $39,000 operating deficit, and a $70-per-residence surcharge to repair Camanche’s out-of-service Well 14 and replace broken fire hydrants.” He said if “Amador County Supervisors approve a grant for repairs from the county Water Development Fund, AWA directors will not assess the $70 surcharge.”

Mancebo said “exploratory talks with two county supervisors raised the possibility of a grant from the Amador County Water Development Fund to pay for some of the infrastructure repairs needed on the Camanche system.” He spoke to Supervisors Richard Forster and Chairman John Plasse and they “indicated they wanted Camanche residents to support a rate increase to get the system out of the red, and if they do, the county may contribute money for infrastructure repairs.”

“There has been no increase in water rate in the Camanche system in five years,” Mancebo said, “and system costs were exceeding revenues even before the economic recession.” A 10 percent rate increase would mean about $3.80 per month for a typical home. Lake Camanche Village customers currently pay the lowest water rates among AWA water customers.

AWA has “reduced total labor costs in the Camanche system by nearly 40 percent and other operating costs more than 50 percent” since 2007-2008, “but these reductions still are not adequate to balance the budget,” Mancebo said. “We’re continuing to look for ways to reduce expenses; in the meantime, fuel, chemicals, pipe materials, and other operating costs continue to climb.”

The Lake Camanche Village water system was built by the subdivision developer in the early 1970s and operated by Amador County until 2003, when the County asked AWA to take it over, Mancebo said. Camanche’s groundwater wells have a history of water quality problems, and AWA staff is particularly concerned about heading into summer with a major well out of service.

Besides well issues, “a number of fire hydrants are known to need replacement or repairs, and many service line pipes are failing and developing leaks. The service lines are made of an early form of plastic pipe that has become brittle and is developing cracks.”

Mancebo said, Camanche is one of several AWA systems that may be running “in the red” next fiscal year.

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