HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/19/2003, COUNCIL LIAISON REPORT 3 - NORTH COUNTY WATER FORUM MEETING OF AUGUST 7, 2003 n. —
MEETINGS AGENDA
DATE ITEM # C011R
3
August 19, 2003
"Liaison Report
To: Council collar
From Ken Schwartz
Copies: Kea Iiampian, George, John Moss,Lee Price
Re: North,County Water Forum meeting of August 7, 2003
The major propose of this meeting was to provide County Engineer Christie Ferrara
an opportunity to acquaint the Forum membership with highlights of the EIR prepared for
the Nacimiento Water Project. The meeting was well.attended by North County
members. John Moss and myself were the only representatives of interests south of the
grade.
Two copies of this EIR have been placed in our Council Office and we have each been
given a copy of the"executive summary." Needless to say,this EIR is a significant
report that shall have a major influence on the future use of this water resource- It is
expected to go before the Board of Supervisors in.January�ebruazy
of Ms. Ferrara pointed out that the Paso Robles ground water basin has now been calculated
to have a safe annual yield capacity of 94,000 AF;however,the projected demand for
water in the North County(both population growth and agricultural needs)is estimated to
be 121,000 AF. Cviously,the ground water basin needs to be augmented- Modeling of
the basin's study data is still about 10 months away,but yields are not expected to change
significautly. Two things became more clear as a result of discussion: (1)because ofthe
hardness of the ground water, significant use is made of water softeners which in turn
contnbute to the salinity of the underground basin;and(2)due to high summer_that to
temperatures,water use in the North County creates a 300/6 beaking problem
Say water Usage increases 301Y6 in the summer(that's a.lot of iced tea!)- How to provide
for this peaking need has yet to be resolved.
Mayor Frank Mecham was asked if Paso Robles was accumulating finds(by increased
water rate charges)in order to prepare water rate payers for the higher water rates that
will be needed to pay for the Nacimiento Project given the comparatively low rates paid
for thea ground water system Franks answer was`no'that Paso was trying gather all
of the information abom the condition of their present system so as to prepare its voters
for the need fDr the Nacimiento project. I-Es feeling, echoed by Atascadero Mutual Water
Company representative Ken Weathers was that it was poor public policy to add a charge
onto current rates to pay for something not yet accepted as a need.
(Maybe so,but I dare say the `sticker shock' when the costs are revealed could
discourage support for the project.)
Page 2: Liaison Report: NCWF
My sense is that most,if not aQ of the members of this Forum believe that there is a need
for water and are supportive of the Naaimiento Project as is the County Engineering
Department. I do sense,however, that there may be a danger in bung too guns ho until
costs are better]mown and, as we know, costs will be a function of who agrees to
contract for water and in what quantities. Ms. Ferran's presentation used slides and at
the bottom of the last one was a drawing showing a pipe with water running out of it and
the wording: `Design it,bund it and let the water flow." I opined(based on my State
Water experience)that ifthat diagram and that statement were used in San Luis Obispo,
it would likely kiH the project.
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