Tuesday, 19 May 2009 00:43
Amador Water Agency
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors last week was accused of a Brown Act violation by a local resident, but the AWA said the subject of that claim was erroneous. Jim Edmonds of Jackson in a memo to the board accused AWA of violating the Brown Act for its Small Diameter Pipeline project to be placed within the Amador Canal, by changing it from a raw water delivery system to a treated water delivery system. Edmonds’ memo, received by AWA May 4th, asked: “What right does the management have to break this contract that was both written and published?” Edmonds, who lives on New York Ranch Road, said the agency’s “negative declaration” for the small-diameter pipeline is not true, “since many people are affected by the small diameter pipeline and were not aware of the placing of (a) treated water line and the plan to not install a raw water line in the canal east of New York Ranch Road.” Edmonds said “the people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.” AWA Board Chairman Terence Moore said that “putting a raw water line in the canal was part of the Amador Transmission Pipeline project.” He said the “treated water line is a different project,” with its own approval process, and “some raw-line customers might want to get on the treated line.” Moore said the people should “bare in mind, we don’t even have easements to either one of these projects.” Moore said the agency is just following its directive from the state “to seek to provide treated water to all customers.” Moore said the agency is still exploring construction options and applying for grants to fund installation of the small diameter pipeline, which was planned to deliver raw water to customers along the Amador Canal, now that the Pipeline has been completed to replace the canal as the agency’s primary water conveyor to the Tanner Water Treatment Plant. Moore said the board will hold a special meeting this summer to update the public on the progress of the small diameter pipeline. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.