By Rich Anderson
November 8, 2010

Pleasanton (CA) Mayor Jennifer Hosterman hosted a meeting October 14-15 of the Mayors Water Council in Pleasanton along with Co-Chair Schenectady (NY) Mayor Brian Stratton. Mayors and city officials discussed national, regional and local issues including: water supply; water recycling; infrastructure and legal issues regarding federal authority over water bodies; and state laws governing water supply, land use and development.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was a featured speaker on October 14. He discussed the relationship between water and energy, and emphasized that our water future will be tied up with our energy future. Kennedy is a recognized authority on water quality and environmental protection. He is a Senior Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, and serves as President of Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization that defends communities against threats to their right to clean water. These organizations are dedicated to the protection and preservation of the nation's waterways and watersheds. Kennedy said good environmental policy and economic policy go hand in hand, and that we as a society need to look hard at the hidden subsidies associated with industrial activities involving natural resources and find better uses for that money to create a green economy.

Several other panels focused on discussions of water supply problems in California. United Water Vice President Bob Ashfield and West Basin Municipal Water District in Carson (CA) Assistant General Manager Shivaji Deshmukh presented information about a water recycling facility in Los Angeles County. Water supply is a valuable commodity in California. While two-thirds of the water originates in the northern part of the state, two-thirds of the population resides in the southern part of the state. This mismatch of population centers and water supply, which is exacerbated by persistent drought, exerts pressure on communities to conserve and recycle water. The West Basin project has accomplished this for the last 15 years. Ashfield stated that over one billion gallons of water have been recycled by the recycling facility.

West Basin is a wholesaler of imported and recycled water, serving one million people in 17 communities in Los Angeles County. West Basin uses the full complement of water supply approaches to serve the 17 communities, including: imported supplies; groundwater; storm water; water transfers; desalination; and, water recycling. Supplies are uncertain because of competition for water to protect endangered species and unreliable Sierra snow melt rates in the north, and because of drought and competition for supplies originating in the Colorado River.

West Basin addressed part of the need for more supply to serve future population growth through the recycling facility. The district established a public-private partnership with United Water to build, operate and expand the recycling facility and its distribution network, Over $500 million has been invested, and 100 miles of distribution pipe set in-place, and 70 million gallons a day of water are recycled. West Basin has demonstrated that recycling water along with conservation programs is an effective way to augment supply. The district has, over time, used the partnership with United Water to lower the overall unit cost of water in a water-poor environment.

CH2M HILL Regional Director of Operations Dennis Burrell presented information regarding a wastewater public-private partnership in Clovis (CA). Clovis, with a population 90,000 that is west of Fresno, is in need of water supply certainty (the city sent their wastewater to Fresno for treatment). Clovis officials decided to enter into a Design-Build-Operate (DBO) partnership with CH2M HILL to establish a 2.8 million gallon a day water recovery facility. The facility was placed in service in April 2009.

The DBO partnership allowed for innovative solutions to meet the city's objectives. In addition to creating some level of water supply certainty, the facility produces high-quality effluent, the project met condensed design and construction windows desired by the city, the private partner provides qualified O&M staff, and the city achieved specified financial benefits.

California State Water Resources Control Board Vice Chair Frances Spivy-Weber talked about the board's efforts to aid communities state-wide with water supply and infrastructure needs. Spivey-Weber described the broad mandate of the board, and its nine regional boards. The organization was established to oversee: water quality regulations and enforcement, with regional boards; water rights regulations and enforcement; provide loans and grants; collaborate on water supply, wildlife habitat, climate change, planning; ensure science-based information to support mission; and, implement a public process of outreach and education.

Spivey-Weber discussed the recent removal of an $11.2 billion ballot issue for November that would have directed financial assistance for water resources in the state. Some $2 billion of the funds would have been set aside for infrastructure investment. She stated that the board still has existing unexpended resource bonds under a revolving loan fund and a clean-up and abatement fund. She stated the prerequisites for applying for the financial support: regional and local planning completed; shovel-ready projects; statement of multiple benefits; and, demonstration of matching funds. She also stated that the board is increasingly concerned about rising sea levels induced by climate change, and that projects that consider such factors are more likely to receive financial support.

South Delta Water Agency Manager and General Counsel John Herrick discussed the general lack of water supply in the Delta Bay area. He also stated concern over how the water supply is managed by the state and regional water resources control boards.

Veolia Water North America Vice President Jim Good commented that that along with water supply, there is a shortage of infrastructure investment in the Bay Delta area, as well as the state more generally. He stated that the Mayors Water Council recently published a study that indicates future spending needs will be difficult to meet using traditional municipal financing mechanisms. Good stated that Veolia Water has demonstrated that alternative financing and operations arrangements for water and wastewater have proven to be cost-effective and well performing.

John Cain, of American Rivers, discussed critical flood management factors in the Bay Delta area. More generally, Cain stated that floods are the number one natural hazard in the nation, and despite policies aimed at reducing risk damages continue to grow because development behind levees are not considered to be in the floodplain. Increased development behind levees, said Cain, increases risk. He stated that urbanization in the Delta floodplains: endangers lives; pollutes drinking water' constrains water supply; and, precludes restoration of river waters. He stated that the American Rivers organization's strategy to reverse the flooding trend is to: prevent urbanization in the remaining Delta floodplains and expand and restore floodways to safely accommodate future floods.

The final panel provided a snapshot of the highly competitive nature of water resources uses in the Bay Delta area. Dick Pool, a long-time fisherman, small businessman and salmon advocate, presented information on the declining salmon population in the Bay Delta waters. He produced economic impact information showing that over a billion dollars of lost economic value is, or will be, lost as the salmon population declines. Jason Peltier, of the Westlands Water District, described the terribly complex nature of the Bay Delta waters and that there is growing competition for water supplies from population growth, agriculture and commercial and recreational fishers. He also talked about the need to maintain water volume and quality to satisfy the endangered species. While Peltier did not challenge Pool's contention that current water management practices disrupts salmon propagation he did state that it has been difficult to substantiate the exact mechanism of harm to the salmon population.