PCWA Seeks Changes to Urban Water Conservation Mandate

Auburn, Calif. – In a letter addressed to the State Water Resources Control Board, the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) called for modifications to the urban water conservation mandate adopted by the state in May.

The letter responded to questions posed by the State Water Resources Control Board, in advance of its public workshop on the regulations on December 7, 2015. The PCWA Board of Directors discussed the letter and the Agency’s proposed modifications at its meeting on Monday. 

“The current conservation regulations ignore California’s geographic and climate diversity, and are not a long term solution to the current drought,” PCWA General Manager Einar Maisch said. “Our staff has done a tremendous job working with agencies across the state to develop common sense adjustments which produce greater equity. We hope the State Water Board will consider our suggestions.”

In the letter, PCWA stressed the need for adjustments that recognize differences in climate and land use density to equalize the impacts of conservation. Because hotter, inland areas had much higher conservation requirements than cooler, coastal areas, PCWA customers suffered significantly higher financial and quality of life losses in terms of dead and dying landscapes and stressed urban forests.  The Agency also argued that conservation requirements should not limit the use of local drought resilient water supplies, and must be flexible and responsive to developing hydrologic conditions through the winter and spring of 2016.

PCWA Director Robert Dugan testified on behalf of the Agency at the State Water Resources Control Board’s Urban Water Conservation Workshop on Monday in Sacramento.

In other news, PCWA Directors:

• Appointed Director Mike Lee as 2016 Chairman of the Board, and Director Robert Dugan as 2016 Vice Chair. Outgoing Chairman Primo Santini good-humoredly ended his term by taking credit for ending the drought.
• Received a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. PCWA Director of Financial Services Joe Parker presented the certificate, and noted that the Agency has received the recognition nine years in a row for its comprehensive annual financial report. The certificate is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.
• Heard from PCWA Director of Customer Service Matt Young, who introduced the Agency’s new Deputy Director of Customer Service Donel Laudon. Laudon is a second-generation Placer High graduate and served in the Agency’s customer service department from 2002-2010 before pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Oregon State University.

The next regular meeting of the PCWA Board of Directors will be held on Thursday, December 17, 2015, 2:00 PM at the PCWA Business Center, 144 Ferguson Road, in Auburn. PCWA board meetings are open to the public.

For more information on PCWA board meetings, please contact the Clerk to the Board at (530) 823-4850 or (800) 464-0030.