Zone 7 Water Agency Looks to Opt Out of Alameda County

UPDATE 5 p.m. Friday — this meeting has been canceled.

Here's an announcement from the Zone 7 Water Agency:

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 10, there will be a public briefing on Senate Bill 1337 at Zone 7’s office in Livermore. This is legislation Zone 7 Water Agency has “sponsored” that was introduced in the California State Senate by Senator Mark DeSaulnier, with Senator Loni Hancock and Assemblymember Joan Buchanan as co-authors, on February 24. 

The purpose of the legislation is to align Zone 7’s current scope of authority with the actual territory served, including the 15,000 residents in Dougherty Valley (part of Contra Costa County), by enacting a new enabling statute that would clearly establish Zone 7 Water Agency’s operations as separate from Alameda County.

Zone 7 Water Agency currently provides regional flood protection for eastern Alameda County, as well as providing wholesale water to retailers who deliver to over 200,000 people in the cities of Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin and the Dougherty Valley portion of San Ramon.

As long as Zone 7 remains part of the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, residents served in Contra Costa County will remain disenfranchised, without the right to vote for or serve on Zone 7’s board of directors.

SB 1337 will rectify this inequity and allow Zone 7 to adopt more streamlined business practices, potentially saving customers money and minimizing future water rate increases.

On May 10, 2012, the authors’ staff will be hosting a public workshop on the bill. Zone 7 staff will be available to field any questions the public may have on the proposed legislation. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Zone 7’s Office, 100 North Canyons Parkway in Livermore.