LAKE COUNTY >> With Clear Lake”s level dipping below zero on the Rumsey Gauge and the fear of another dry winter, water districts throughout the county that draw from the lake are taking preventative steps and keeping a close eye on their systems as they work to maintain water quality and keep their intake lines in operation.
While treating water for taste and odor is usually an issue during the summer months, the lower lake levels this year are exacerbating those quality issues as larger blooms of algae die.
“It”s still safe to drink and meets all primary standards, but it has an odor issue, which is a secondary standard and not a health issue,” Frank Costmer, Konocti County Water District”s general manager, said.
A large bloom of blue-green algae last week had a noticeable impact on Clearlake Oaks County Water District.
“The summer has been relatively quiet until recently,” Clearlake Oaks plant operator Daniel Hodem said. “There are wild fluctuations in the water; some days it”s really good and some days it”s just terrible.”
The county”s two water systems that draw from the lake are fairing OK and have not reported complaints from customers. However, while the North Lakeport plant”s ozone generator, which treats water for taste and odor, was recently replaced, the Soda Bay plant”s unit has seen better years and is currently being heavily tested, according to Lake County Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger. Plans to replace the unit are in the works.
“The water supply isn”t the issue right now, it”s treatability,” Dellinger said. “We”re about ready to go into design for the Soda Bay plant.”
Other plants around the county are also taking some preventative steps to maintain water quality.
Notably, Konocti County Water District is in the process of assembling engineering quotes to extend one of its intake lines. Costmer said the project will be extensive and may impact water rates in the future.
“There”s probably 4 feet of water above the intake,” Costmer said. “We have enough to make it through the fall, but if it doesn”t rain this winter, we”ll be in a critical situation.”
Golden State Water Company will be expediting the replacement of absorption media by a month and is planning to adjust the depths of one of its intake lines, according to Paul Schubert, general manager of the company”s northern district. However, the company hasn”t received any complaints from customers concerning the water”s quality.
Gay Guidotti of California Water Service Company (Cal Water) reports residents are occasionally calling in with concerns about the water”s odor, but the plant”s operators are working to make adjustments as the lake”s conditions change from day to day.
“They”re using a little more chemicals and a coagulant and oxidant as well,” Guidotti said.
Cal Water has worked with some of the plant”s historical operators to compare water levels now to those during the drought in the 1970s. This year its intake levels will suffice, according to Guidotti.
“Historically, it (the intake level) has been fine, but if we go into the realm past historical figures we”d have to reevaluate that,” Guidotti said. “The cost of modifying a pump is minimal so it wouldn”t have a long-term impact.
“Right now we”re hoping for cooler weather and rain, and we”re hoping that this difficult treatment period doesn”t last very long,” Guidotti added.
Water districts agree that another winter without rain could have some serious consequences for water systems in the county.
