The second project is the Agency’s continued efforts to increase the CAWP or Central Amador Water Project water rights from 1,050 acre feet per year to 2,200. The next step in the process “is to prepare a water supply study to submit to the State Water Resources Control Board confirming the water availability and schedule a formal hearing with the State Board which is expected by the end of 2007,” said Abercrombie. Because the CAWP retail rates are one of the highest in the area the agency requested a grant of $30,000 to complete the work and to help keep ratepayers rates low. The last project the agency requested financing for was the Jackson Valley Irrigation District or JVID area project which Abercrombie said was unique in nature. He explained the Agency is analyzing a wastewater expansion and improvement project in the Lake Camanche area which would also provide reclamation water for agricultural reuse in the JVID reuse area. 

Abercrombie said, “Currently, land owners are within the JVID service area and JVID does not have enough water to serve those customers. This wastewater expansion and improvement, in the long term, will expand the wastewater treatment for Unit 6, but also be able to serve the rest of the Lake Camanche.” Abercrombie said the area has had many problems with failing leach fields and the wastewater solution could solve these issues. “The reclaimed water from all of this area would provide up to 200 acre feet of reclamation water that can be used by property owners in the JVID service area.” The existing water rates for the JVID service area are $80 per month and approximately 10 million is needed to fix the existing problems, although Abercrombie pointed out that the agency is pursuing a partnership with EBMUD to combine North Shore Camanche Unit 6 to the regional project.

Also any new development would be contributing between $15,000 and $20,000 to fund engineering work. In order to not affect the already shocking waste water rates the agency requested a grant of $250,000 to fund the engineering work to implement the dual wastewater and reclamation project and increase water use in the JVID area. After Abercrombie introduced the items Supervisor Boitano spoke up almost immediately and expressed concern over treating everyone equally when it comes to allocating money from the Water Development Fund as well as if the money could be paid back he would prefer that be done so that the fund does not go dry. “The only problem have with this, is the loan versus grant. I would like to see the Water Committee go back and do some research and take a look at those things and maybe establish a policy for the Water Development Fund.” He later added, “I’d like to do for one what we have done for all.” Boitano also added that maybe the Board should hold off on granting the funding requests until a policy is developed.

Supervisor Forster said the Water Committee is in the process of doing just that and it will appear the board at some point, thus far they have only had one recent meeting on the subject. Forster also pointed out, “We have formed somewhat of a partnership with the Amador Water Agency because they have taken some of the systems that were in poor shape and I think by not helping them we would be somewhat abandoning our partnership.” The Board decided to grant the Agency their funding requests with the understanding that if the money can be paid back that it will be. Forster also added that the Water Study program regarding future policy for granting money from the Water Development Fund will be appearing before the Board in the future.