LAKEPORT >> The Lake County Supervisor’s approved modified urgency ordinances for two county maintained water systems Tuesday.
Because of a decrease in water consumption, customers of three water systems will be given and extra 100 cubic feet each month before seeing an increase
Both the Bonanza Springs Water System was placed under mandatory water restrictions in March of last year because “critically low water table levels were threatening the water wells … and dry conditions were expected to continue,” according to Lake County Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger.
“After one year of monitoring well levels, usage and the conservation efforts of the customers, we have found that some modifications to the existing Urgency Ordinance would benefit the CSA and help us reduce the extreme cases of water misuse while protecting the customers that are taking measures to conserve,” Dellinger continued.
Lake County Special District Compliance Coordinator Jan Coppinger added “that it is not appropriate to keep these families dialed down as tight as we had to do last year.”
The new ordinance also includes a larger surcharge if usage exceeds 1,500 cubic feet per month, in order to act as a deterrent.
“We found that there was no incentive to conserve if a customer knew they were going to exceed the first surcharge,” Dellinger said.
A moratorium on new connections for the Bonanza Springs Water System was also modified. From now on new connections will be considered on a case-by-case basis with approved being determined by whether or not the new connection will affect the district’s ability to provide water for it’s current customers.
The Mount Hannah Water System was place under the same restrictions in May of last year because critically low water table levels threaten the only well serving the community. Production and recharge rates had also dropped significantly.
After the system’s old well began to fail, a new well was installed in August of last year. The new well is generating approximately 16 gallon each minute, according to Coppinger.
“Although the new well produces and recharges much better than the original well, the system is still challenged by low water tables and a poor transmission line that has been repaired repeatedly but continues to fail,” Dellinger explained.
The Mount Hannah Water system has been awarded grant funding through Prop 84 Emergency Drought Funds to replace the faulty transmission line. The work is expected to be completed by the end of summer.
“With the new well and that transmission line replaced, we will finally see Mount Hannah in much better condition,” Coppinger said.
A third tier of surcharges was also added to Mount Hannah’s ordinance, but with a maximum amount of 1,000 cubic feet of water being aloud before the fee is incurred.
A public hearing regarding the Starview Water System was scheduled for Tuesday’s meeting but was postponed until Aug. 18, as proper public notification was not published in local media.
A second reading of the modified ordinances will also be held during the board’s Aug. 18 meeting.
