LAKE COUNTY >> Despite the amount of rainfall received during mid-December storm, three years of drought and dry weather since before Christmas means “little or no effect” has been seen in most of Lake County Special District”s jurisdiction.
Multiple water systems throughout the county are also still under urgency ordinances.
The Kono Tayee, Soda Bay and North Lakeport water systems are also under a voluntary conservation order, Lake County Special Districts Compliance Coordinator Jan Coppinger said. However, water systems in Mount Hannah, Bonanza Springs, Paradise Valley and Spring Valley still remain under a mandatory conservation ordinance.
“I think our customers on the mountain don”t realize is that we did get a lot of rain and it raised the lake level,” Coppinger said. “But it all ran off, So it didn”t affect the water tables.”
According to Coppinger, wells in Kono Tayee and Kelseyville water systems have experienced declines of 7 percent and 1 percent, respectively, since December. While the well in the Starview Water System experienced a 1 percent increase over the span from the storms until the most recent measure.
Of the 10 total systems serving 9,605 customers managed by Lake County Special Districts, only those in Finley and Kelseyville have decreased their urgency level. Seven of the systems rely on ground water and three rely on surface water.
At its Dec. 16 meeting, the Lake County Board of Supervisors approved those decreases with a unanimous vote.
The Finley and Kelseyville water systems were placed on the urgency ordinance on July 22 when “well levels began to drop and water usage was escalating,” according to Coppinger. Additionally, the urgency ordinance ensured that minimum drinking water needs were met by the system.
Because of a recent decrease in temperatures and consumption, there was no further need for the urgency ordinance and the two systems were reduced to Stage 1 of the Drought Management Plan.
Stage 1 calls for voluntary conservation.
Mandatory measures in Stage 2 include prohibitions against using water to wash buildings, sidewalks, driveways, patios and other hard-surfaced areas; not using a handheld hose without a functioning shut-off nozzle; and no water usage that would result in flooding or runoff into gutters or streets. Stage 3 of the drought management plan is expected to result in an additional 10 percent reduction in water usage. Additional mandatory conservation measures and revised rate structures would go into effect during the third stage, according to plan documents. The fourth and final stage would include a connection moratorium and prohibit new connections.
“If at any time it appears there may be a threat to the water system”s ability to provide minimum drinking water needs to the community, we will return with a new urgency ordinance,” Coppinger told the county supervisors.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
