Sutter Creek – California Proposition 84 has a staggering $5.38 billion earmarked for regional water projects, and the Amador Water Agency heard from its regional board that $2.1 million of that money could be fast-tracked for an Amador and Calaveras county water program. They heard the news Thursday form Rob Alcott, executive officer of the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority, of which the AWA is a member. Alcott said Prop 84 funds include $1.5 billion for water quality and regional water management, for which Amador County’s “leak detection and repair program” would qualify for an “expedited grant,” meaning it would not come as slowly from the state. But the expediting would be best possible by changing it to an Amador and Calaveras program, serving both counties. Alcott said he spoke with AWA General Manager Jim Abercrombie about expanding the leak detection program between Amador and Calaveras, and he noted that as a maintenance and replacement work, it would not need an Environmental Impact Report done. Alcott said Amador and Calaveras’ share would be $2.1 million. The AWA board approved its membership of the UMRWA Thursday, and that joint work plan, contingent on Amador County paying half the membership fee, and other member entities agreeing to Alcott’s hours being cut. Members of the UMRWA are Alpine, Amador and Calaveras counties; the East Bay Municipal Utility District; AWA, and Calaveras and Alpine water agencies; the Calaveras PUD; and the Jackson Valley Irrigation District. Alcott said part of membership is the “built-in organizational efficiencies.” He said UMRWA must still be recognized by the state as the official representative of the region, to qualify for funding from the “Integrated Regional Water Management Planning Act,” as revised, effective March of this year. AWA District 3 Director Don Cooper said he hears about resource planning and thinks they should channel more of their energy toward conservation, and fulfilling the state mandated adoption of the governor’s best management practices, under AB 1420, for conservation. Cooper asked if Alcott and UMRWA could be the regional body to pursue those practices and their initiation, under AB 1420. Alcott said he saw “that as a maybe.” He said with “cost sharing and time to coordinate a set of foundational conservation requirements, UMRWA could serve that purpose.” He said “it would take time and effort, but yes it could.” Coopers said they could show the power they have as a group, by organizing to pay less and benefit from the work as a whole. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sutter Creek – The Amador Water Agency board on Tuesday discussed the water needs of the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort, and learned that Sutter Creek is still negotiating its “conditions of approval” on the project. District 1 Director Bill Condrashoff said raw water for the golf course should be in a new analysis of the Water Supply Assessment done by the AWA staff. And he wondered if the plan was “to use up all the water in the first 10 years.” Chairman Terence Moore said it was not the plan, but the board was trying to ease his concerns. AWA attorney Steve Kronick said the state gives water agencies “guidelines on how to document future demands,” but these are “not necessarily what the cities” plan or do. Condrashoff said the WSA should look at other cities’ future needs, but Abercrombie said they “must include planned projects, but not unplanned or speculative ones.” Sutter Creek’s Bart Weatherly asked who would pay for a new raw water line to serve Gold Rush. Abercrombie said there were “a lot of developers here today,” and he will work with them and “have them pay as much as they can.” Developers in attendance included Cirro Toma, Rob Aragon, Bill Bunce, Greg Bardini, Stefan Horstsradter and Bob Reeder. Sutter Creek Assistant City Administrator Sean Rabe said the “conditions of approval” agreement with Gold Rush was still a working document, but so far says the developer shall build a new tertiary-level water treatment plant for the city and the developer’s needs, within 3 years. It also says the project will accept wastewater from Sutter Creek. He said “within 36 months, the project has to construct the tertiary plant.” That could be extended to 5 years, at the developer’s request. Rabe said “they will need raw water for the golf course,” and “it’s your job to tell us how long it will be.” He said “before the first certificate of occupancy is issued, the tertiary plant has to be built.” That is for the first phase, and subsequent phases require other treatment plant upgrades. Rabe said the “whole point of the golf course is to dispose of water,” and the “golf course won’t be able to take all of the water that the city can produce.” It will also be sent to Ione, or to the Amador Regional Sanitation Authority’s storage. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors held a water conservation workshop July 23rd and learned that the agency must follow state “Best Management Practices” or it would not qualify for any state grants. Consultant Leslie Dumas of RMC Water and Environment, talked about the governor’s draft 20 By 2020 state Water Conservation Plan, and an effort to “reduce (state) per capita use 20 percent, from the current 192 gallons per capita daily to 154 gallons per capita daily,” which Schwarzenegger’s office said equated to “an annual savings of about 1.74 million acre-feet.” AWA Vice Chair Bill Condrashoff said Dumas gave the AWA board a list of the 14 Best Management Practices (BMPs) that the governor and state will require jurisdictions to follow. He said the AWA “must meet them all to get state grants.” One practice is to have a “conservation coordinator,” designated to oversee implementation of the 14 Best Management Practices. Condrashoff said they did not talk about the qualifications of that post but more about the candidate’s “ability to manage a program.” He said the AWA staff and board will come up with a plan, then get a person to make sure it is implemented.” The plans include water usage limitations, such as designated days to wash cars, or prohibiting an obvious waste of water, such as overwatering until it flows into the street. State incentives include low-water landscaping, high-efficiency washing machines and an “ultra-low-flow toilet rebate program,” given for toilets that flush with less than 1.2 gallons of water. Condrashoff said state BMPs included surveying water use, and “having a good handle on the amount of water being used.” Another was retrofitting plumbing to low-flow toilets and showers. System water audits are another practice, he said, so the agency can see that water going through the treatment facility adds up to meter readings. If it doesn’t match, losses or leaks can be located. Another BMP is metering with all commodity rates, and retail conservation practices include a 2- or 3- tiered pricing schedule, where if you used more, you pay more. Public information was a BMP too, Condrashoff said, noting that “if you can educate the public on where the water comes from and why it’s such a valuable resource, it is the best way to get conservation information out.” Other areas included school education; commercial, industrial and institutional customers; and wholesale agency assistance programs, such as helping Jackson with its BMPs. He said “AWA will help the city of Jackson” in communicating about conservation. Condrashoff said conservation “can save a huge amount of money,” and at least defer infrastructure spending. He said the BMPs are to be met to qualify for any state grant. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.