Water District to Vote Thursday on Ending Drought Surcharges

NEWARK, CA -  Newark residents could soon have smaller water bills.

The Alameda County Water District (ACWD) Board of Directors will vote Thursday on whether to rescind the water shortage emergency ordinance and drought surcharges that have been in place since 2014. 

The pending decisions come on the heels of the State Water Resources Control Board’s May 18 adoption of a statewide approach that allows more local decision making on conservation standards based on each water agency’s specific water supply conditions.  

The district’s water shortage emergency ordinance was adopted in March 2014 and was followed by drought surcharges in July that same year.

“The Board made a promise to our customers that there would be a sunset to drought surcharges and now that the tides have shifted, so to speak, we will reassess both the ordinance and drought surcharges” said ACWD Director James Gunther.   

ACWD has projected water supplies for the next three years and determined sufficient supply is available, even when factoring in potential dry years.

“Our current situation is far different from where we were a couple of years ago,” said Gunther. “Our customers have made considerable cuts in consumption and our water supplies are strong.”

The district receives water from multiple sources, allowing flexibility in water supply planning. In a typical year, ACWD’s water supply is comprised of 40 percent from local watershed runoff from Alameda Creek used to recharge the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin, 40 percent from the State Water Project, and 20 percent from San Francisco’s Hetch Hetchy system.

 Since adoption of the water shortage emergency ordinance, followed by state mandates, ACWD has seen a 30 percent demand reduction from 2013. The district’s state mandate was a 16 percent reduction.

The new state regulations specify how individual agencies determine conservation standards, but the statewide drought has not been declared over.

“All Californians should adopt lifetime conservation habits regardless of current supply conditions,” said Director Martin Koller. “I liken it to a bank account; if you’re wise, you don’t blow all your savings just because you have it,” added Koller.

Although the state allows water agencies to determine local conservation standards, some permanent statewide restrictions remain, including: prohibitions on using a hose to clean driveways or sidewalks; a ban on overwatering landscape that results in runoff; requiring restaurants to serve water only upon request; and a mandate that the hospitality industry offer optional laundering of sheets and towels. 

The Board is expected to vote on rescinding the water shortage emergency ordinance and drought surcharges at the June meeting. If you would like to attend:

Thursday, June 9, 2016
6 p.m.
Alameda County Water District Headquarters, Board Room, 43885 South Grimmer Blvd., Fremont, 94538

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