The Water Agency would eventually turn the land over to the Amador County Recreation Agency (ACRA) for future management once ACRA is able to take permanent title of the land. The various agencies have about 30 days to iron out the legal details before the property becomes unavailable. In Ione, the Agency decided that water agency crews will construct a needed pump station for a new drinking water storage tank, saving ratepayers approximately $100,000 over the estimates provided by outside contractors. The pump station is expected to be completed in about 3 months. A recent meeting between the Amador Water Agency and the state Regional Water Quality Control Board on disposal of raw water “backwash” from the water treatment plant at Mace Meadows was characterized as “very positive’ by Manager of Engineering and Planning Gene Macebo.

The water, used to flush out the drinking water system filters, has been classified as “low threat discharge” and may be allowed under permit to be released to a pond for reuse at the golf course and then into Pioneer Creek in the winter. This could save Water Agency ratepayers a half million dollars if new winter storage ponds aren’t required by the state.. A Water Agency well drilled recently to boost drinking water capacity in the Lake Camanche area has received an OK from the California Dept. of Public Health to allow 10 new hook-ups to that system. About 5 completed homes have been waiting for the state’s approval to hook-up to the new water supply.. The Agency is investigating the possibility of a grant to pay for the $50,000 -$60,000 study. Also in Lake Camanche, a pending meeting with US Fish & Wildlife on protection for the tiger salamander has stalled progress on plans to dispose of reclaimed wastewater on agricultural land. That meeting is expected to be scheduled sometime in the next 30 days. Lack of wastewater disposal options has halted homebuilding in some parts of the Camanche area.