CCWD Staff Recommends 15 Percent Water Use Reduction

CCWD’s staff is recommending to the District’s Board of Directors a Drought Management Program designed to reduce water consumption in the District by 15 percent.

The Board will hold a public hearing on the program at its April 1 meeting, and is expected to vote at that time.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at CCWD’s Main Offices at 1331 Concord Ave. in Concord. If approved, the program will begin May 1.

The Bureau of Reclamation has increased the CCWD allocation for Central Valley Project water from 50 percent to 55 percent. The 15 percent water use reduction target, coupled with available supplies, will allow customer demands to be met this year.

Under the program, all customers will be asked to conserve. Most customer classes are being asked to cut by 15 percent. Industrial users will be asked to cut by 5 percent and irrigation customers by 45 percent.

The focus of the 15 percent Drought Management Program is on reducing outside water use while minimizing impacts on jobs and the economy. The District’s Drought Management Program does not increase rates.

Any Single Family Residential customer who uses more than 1,000 gallons per day, and does not reduce water use by 15 percent – compared to their three-year (2005, 2006 and 2007) historical average -- will be charged an excess water use charge of four times the quantity charge.

In addition, Single Family Residential customers who increase their use when compared to their three-year average for the billing period will be charged an excess water charge of four times the quantity charge.

All customers will be sent their historical average and other program information in early April.

Here is more information on the program:

Read the amended Ordinance 0901:

Read the Board Agenda docket form:

Read the Staff Report:

The Agenda for the April 1 Board Meeting:

Please send an e-mail if you have questions on the program.

CCWD Board Passes Water Shortage Conditions

Wednesday night, CCWD's Board of Directors passed a Resolution declaring water shortage conditions and directed District staff to prepare a drought ordinance.

The ordinance will be read at the Board's next meeting on March 18.

There will be a public hearing and a vote on the ordinance at the Board's April 1 meeting.

If the board enacts a drought management program, it would begin May 1.

Assistant General Manager Jerry Brown told Directors that improving snow pack and reservoir conditions are such that if the wet weather continues through March the Board could have flexibility in considering conservation measures.

With continued improving weather conditions, the Board could consider a voluntary or mandatory drought program. It will not make that decision until April 1.

Last year, CCWD asked its customers to conserve water voluntarily.

Gov. Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought emergency last Friday, and asked urban water users to cut back their water uses by 20 percent this year.

I will update you as new developments take place. Please write or call if I can provide further information.

Regards,
 
Jim Freschi
CCWD Public Information Specialist
(925) 688-8175

CCWD Drought Management Program

CCWD has sent a notice to its treated and untreated water customers about the District's proposed Drought Management Program.

A Public Hearing on the program will be held April 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the CCWD Board Room located at 1331 Concord Ave. in Concord.

If the program is instituted, it will start on May 1.

CCWD will not be raising water rates as part of its drought program. However, the District is proposing to implement a penalty charge for customers who do not conserve. Customers who meet the conservation goals will save money since they are using less water.

The proposed penalty charge will be based on a sliding scale with a maximum charge of ten-times the quantity charge of the District’s adopted rates.

We've got a slide presentation that explains how the program will work, you can see it here as a PDF file.

Have a questions or concerns? Give me a call at (925) 688-8175 of send an e-mail to me at jfreschi@ccwater.com.