Water Commission Agenda Regular Meeting 7:00 P.M

Water Commission Agenda Regular Meeting 7:00 p.m. – Monday, November 4, 2013 Council Chambers 809 Center Street, Santa Cruz

Agenda

Call to Order

Roll Call

Presentation Organized groups may make presentations to the Water Commission. Presenta- tions that require more than three minutes should be scheduled in advance with Water Depart- ment staff.

Statements of Disqualification Section 607 of the City Charter states that “…All members present at any meeting must vote unless disqualified, in which case the disqualification shall be publicly declared and a record thereof made.”

The City of Santa Cruz has adopted a Conflict of Interest Code, and Section 8 of that Code states that no person shall make or participate in a governmental decision which he or she knows or has reason to know will have a reasonably foreseeable material financial effect distinguishable from its effect on the public generally.

Oral Communications No action shall be taken on this item.

Announcements No action shall be taken on this item.

Approval of Minutes  (Pages 4-8)

Recommendation: Motion to approve the October 7, 2013 Water Commission Minutes.

Consent Agenda (Pages 9-11) Items on the consent agenda are considered to be routine in nature and will be acted upon in one motion. Specific items may be removed by members of the advisory body or public for separate consideration and discussion.

1. Three-month Calendar  (accept info) (Page 9) 2. City Council Items Affecting Water  (accept info) (Pages 10-11)

Items Removed from the Consent Agenda

General Business (Page 12) Any document related to an agenda item for the General Business of this meeting distributed to the Water Commission less than 72 hours before this meeting is available for inspection at the Water Administration Office, 212 Locust Street, Suite A, Santa Cruz, California. These documents will also be available for review at the Water Commission meeting with the display copy at the rear of the Council Chambers.

1. Large Landscape Water Budget Program Presentation  (Page 12)

Recommendation: That the Commission receive information and provide comments regarding the Large Landscape Water Budget Program.

Subcommittee/Advisory Body Oral Reports No items.

Director’s Oral Report No action shall be taken on this item.

1. Monthly Status of Water Supply (to be distributed at meeting) 2. Water Supply Project Update

Media Articles (Pages 13-30) No action shall be taken on this item.

1. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 10-6-13  (Page 13) 2. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 10-8-13  (Pages 14-15) 3. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 10-9-13 (Pages 16) 4. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 10-10-13 (Pages 17) 5. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 10-12-13 (Pages 18-19) 6. News Article – Santa Cruz Weekly 10-15-13 (Pages 20) 7. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 10-15-13 (Pages 21-22) 8. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 10-19-13 (Pages 23-24) 9. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 10-21-13 (Pages 25) 10. News Article – Good Times 10-23-13 (Pages 26-30)

Documents for Future Meetings No action shall be taken on this item. The following document is being included in this agenda packet in order to provide ample review time. It will be an item of business and will include a staff report at a future meeting.

1. None

Items Initiated by Members for Future Agendas

Adjournment The next meeting of the Water Commission is scheduled for December 2, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers.

Denotes written materials included in packet

APPEALS - Any person who believes that a final action of this advisory body has been taken in error may appeal that decision to the City Council. Appeals must be in writing, setting forth the nature of the action and the basis upon which the action is considered to be in error, and addressed to the City Council in care of the City Clerk.

Other - Appeals must be received by the City Clerk within ten (10) calendar days following the date of the action from which such appeal is being taken. An appeal must be accompanied by a fifty dollar ($50) filing fee.

The City of Santa Cruz does not discriminate against persons with disabilities. Out of consideration for people with chemical sensitivities, please attend the meeting fragrance free. Upon re- quest, the agenda can be provided in a format to accommodate special needs. Additionally, if you wish to attend this meeting and will require assistance such as an interpreter for American Sign Language, Spanish, or other special equipment, please call Water Administration at 831- 420-5200 at least five days in advance so that arrangement can be made. The Cal-Relay system number: 1-800-735-2922.

Water Commission 7:00 p.m. – Monday, October 7, 2013 Council Chambers 809 Center Street, Santa Cruz

Draft Minutes

Call to Order – Vice Chair D. Baskin called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the City Coun- cil Chambers.

Roll Call Present: D. Baskin, D. Stearns, W. Wadlow and G. Mead Absent: D. Meyers, A. Schiffrin, and L. Wilshusen (all with notification) Staff Present: L. Almond, Acting Director; T. Goddard, Water Conservation Manager; C. Cartwright, Water Conservation Representative; T. Praxel, Interim Principal Management Analyst; R. Coletta, Administrative Assistant II. Others: Bill Maddaus, Maddaus Water Management and S. Gaur, Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc. and members of the public.

Presentation – There were no presentations.

Statements of Disqualification – There were no statements of disqualification.

Oral Communications – There were no oral communications.

Announcements – There were no announcements.

Approval of Minutes

Commissioner Wadlow moved approval of August 26, 2013 Water Commission minutes. Commissioner Baskin seconded. VOICE VOTE: MOTION CARRIED AYES: D. Baskin, G. Mead, and W. Wadlow. NOES: None. ABSTAINED: D. Stearns, due to absence from the August 26 meeting.

Consent Agenda Commissioner Baskin moved the Consent Agenda. Commissioner D. Stearns seconded. VOICE VOTE: MOTION CARRIED AYES: D. Baskin, G. Mead, D. Stearns, and W. Wadlow. NOES: None.

General Business

1. Water Rate Design Study – Rate Design Overview and Discussion of Pricing Objectives

S. Gaur of Raftelis Associates gave a presentation on the Rate Design Study that he is under contract with the Water Department to complete. He covered the following topics:  Process for Determining Appropriate Rate Structure.  Review of Pricing Objectives  Water Use Efficiency Analysis for Single Family Residential  Nexus Requirement for Tiered Pricing  Next Steps

He reviewed the Pricing Objectives priorities developed by staff and asked for Commis- sioners input on those. He reported on initial results from modeling of the Single Family Resident (SFR) category, saying he was astonished to find that only 2.5% of these accounts were determined to be inefficient using an indoor water budget factor of 55 gallons per person per day, a household size of 4 and a factor for outdoor use based on lot size less building and hardscape footprint. Even if he decreased the water budget to 50 gallons per person per day with a household size of 3 people and reduced the landscape factor by half, the level of inefficiency was still less an 11%. He noted that these levels are extremely low in comparison to other similar water districts. His observations are that a water budget rate structure for this account category may not promote further efficiency and savings from this structure would not cover the costs of implementation.

Next steps in the Rate Study will be to fine tune the current inclining tiered rate structure for SFR’s and to do modeling of this structure for the other categories:  Multi-Family – Inclining Tiered Rate based on # of units  Irrigation Accounts – Water Budget  Commercial and Institutions – Average Winter Use  UCSC – to be determined

Oral communications were received from four members of the public, including S. McGilvray, R. Longinotti, R. Pomerantz, and Sophie (last name unknown).

Commission Discussion/Comments

Mr. Gaur responded to questions from the Commissioners.

Commissioner D. Baskin recommended that the pricing objective, “Perceived to be Fair to the Public” be moved up from Neutral to Important. Other Commissioners agreed. Staff confirmed that the results of this study will be returned to the Commission before being presented to Council. No action was taken. The presentation will be included in the original papers.

2. Santa Cruz Municipal Code – Revisions to Section 16.03, Plumbing Fixture Retrofit

Water Conservation Representative Clara Cartwright presented a report on proposed revisions to Municipal Code Section 16.03 to change plumbing fixture retrofit requirements to a maximum of 1.28 gpf for toilets, 0.5 gpf for urinals, and 2.0 gpm in compliance with AB 715 of 2007 that requires these levels as of 2014.

Oral comment was received from one member of the public, R. Pomerantz.

Commission Comments Commissioner W. Wadlow moved that the Commission recommend the City Council adopt an ordinance amending Chapter 16.03 of the Santa Cruz Municipal Code pertaining to plumbing fixture retrofits. Commissioner Stearns seconded. VOICE VOTE: MOTION CARRIED AYES: D. Baskin, G. Mead, D. Stearns, and W. Wadlow. NOES: None.

3. Water Conservation Master Plan Water Conservation Manager T. Goddard and consultant Bill Maddaus of Maddaus Water Management, Inc. gave a presentation on the status of the Water Conservation Master Plan update covering these topics:  Update on project schedule  Review Codes and Standards savings estimate  Evaluation methodology of new measures including avoided costs as the basis of the benefits  Next Steps

He projected completion of the plan by June 30, 2014, and reported that he estimates savings that could be realized from future updates to codes and standards to be about 228 MGY by 2030, equivalent to about 6% of projected future demand. He then discussed how to define the benefits of water conservation and methodologies of evaluating the cost- benefit of potential new measures, including avoided operating and maintenance costs.

Next steps are to model the costs, benefits, and estimated water savings of 40 potential conservation measures, return to the Water Commission in December with results, select the recommended conservation measures, and then develop the report for review again with the Commission before presentation to City Council in 2014.

Oral comment was received from one member of the public, S. McGilvray.

Mr. Maddaus responded to questions from the Commissioners. No action was taken. The presentation will be included in the original papers.

4. City Council Oct. 8 Action regarding Water Supply Planning Staff distributed the City Council report for the October 8 agenda regarding Water Supply Planning.

Oral comment was received from one member of the public, S. McGilvray.

Commission Discussion/Comments

Commissioner D. Baskin recommended that the Commission: 1. send someone to the Council meeting to present the recommendation adopted at the last Commission meeting that Council approve completion of the EIR,

2. recommend completion of the following studies or actions to inform the public engagement process: the Conservation Master Plan, the Rate Study, the Habitat Conservation Plan negotiations, an Economic Impact Study, consideration of developer impact fees and saltwater intrusion, and a public information program, and 3. advise Council that they are ready to provide leadership in the community engagement process.

Staff responded to questions from the Commissioners. Commissioner Stearns agreed to attend the Council meeting and present the Commission’s recommendations.

Commission W. Wadlow moved Commissioner D. Baskin’s recommendations. Commis- sioner G. Mead seconded. VOICE VOTE: MOTION CARRIED AYES: D. Baskin, G. Mead, D. Stearns, and W. Wadlow. NOES: None.

5. Proclamation Honoring Bill Kocher Commission G. Mead moved to adopt a proclamation honoring Bill Kocher’s service to the City. Commissioner W. Wadlow seconded. VOICE VOTE: MOTION CARRIED AYES: D. Baskin, G. Mead, D. Stearns, and W. Wadlow. NOES: None.

Subcommittee/Advisory Body Oral Reports No items.

Director’s Oral Report No action shall be taken on this item.

1. Monthly Status of Water Supply T. Goddard presented the staff report. He said staff is considering recommending to Council their approval of extending the current water restrictions until conditions improved as determined by the Interim Water Director. No action was taken.

2. Desalination Program No report was presented or action taken.

Information Item

1. Training Opportunities for Commissioners No action was taken.

Media Articles (Pages 48-61) No action was taken on this item.

1. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 8-23-13 2. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 8-24-13 3. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 8-28-13 4. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 9-09-13 5. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 9-16-13 6. News Article – Good Times 9-24-13 7. News Article – Santa Cruz Sentinel 9-28-13

7 8

WATER COMMISSION REPORT

DATE: November 4, 2013

TO: Water Commission

FROM: Interim Water Director

SUBJECT: Water Commission Meeting Schedule and Upcoming Agenda Items

December 2, 2013 - Water Conservation Master Plan - Water Commission Work Plan Update - Water Exchange Study – presentation by County (tentative) - Loch Lomond West Side Recreation Feasibility Analysis – Scope of Work

January 6, 2014 - Capital Improvement Program Infrastructure Update

February 3, 2014 - Election of Officers - Initial Water Supply Outlook - Long-Term Financial Impact of Capital Improvement Program

Unscheduled Items - Loch Lomond ADA Update - Municipal Code 16.04 Revisions - Financial Policy Final Draft - Desalination Project Financial Analysis

WATER COMMISSION REPORT

DATE: November 4, 2013

TO: Water Commission

FROM: Interim Water Director

SUBJECT: City Council Items Affecting Water

City Council Meeting of October 8, 2013:

City’s Classification and Compensation Plans and the FY14 Budget Personnel Complement – Water Department (AS)

Resolution No. NS-28, 693 was adopted amending the Classification and Compensation Plans and the FY14 Budget Personnel Complement by adding a new classification and one full-time position of Administrative Services Manager in the Water Department.

Wells Ordinance Chapter 16.06 Revisions

Ordinance 2013-16 was adopted amending Chapter 16.06 of the City of Santa Cruz Municipal Code pertaining to the regulation of water wells to 1.) exclude monitoring wells from the type of wells regulated and permitted by the City; and 2.) refine the definition of a monitoring well and test well.

Loch Lomond Recreation Area Ordinance Chapter 16.05 Revisions

Ordinance 2013-17 was adopted amending Chapter 16.05 of the City of Santa Cruz Municipal Code pertaining to the Loch Lomond Recreation Area, giving the Water Director authority to establish open hours, and clarifying the area where regulations apply on City watershed lands and in riparian conservation areas.

General Business Future Actions—Water Supply for Drought (CM)

The City Council provided input to staff on a conceptual Water Supply Community Engage- ment Plan and actions.

Motion carried to direct the City Manager to use the principles outlined in the memo presented by Councilmember Lane to bring back a more detailed Community Engagement Program, and

work on a program and a budget plan for future consideration along with a range of choices for the City’s approach on the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The motion carried unanimously.

City Council Meeting of October 22, 2013:

City’s Classification and Compensation Plans and the FY14 Budget Personnel Complement – Water Department, Public Works Department and City Manager’s Office (AS)

Resolution No. NS-28, 698 was adopted amending the Classification and Compensation Plans and the FY14 Budget Personnel Complement by retitling and replacing a Management Analyst position in the Water Department with a new position and classification of Community Relations Specialist, retitling and replacing a Communications Specialist/Grant Writer position in the Pub- lic Works Department with a new position and classification of Community Relations Specialist and retitling and replacing a Communications Manager position in the City Manager Department with a new position and classification of Community Relations Manager.

Extension of Stage 1 Water Shortage Alert (WT)

Resolution No. NS-28,705 was adopted, adopting an extension of the Stage 1 Water Shortage Alert for 2013.

Plumbing Fixture Retrofit Regulations Ordinance – SCMS Chapter 16.03 Revisions (WT)

Ordinance No. 2013-21 was introduced for publication for the purpose of amending Chapter 16.03 of the City of Santa Cruz Municipal Code pertaining to plumbing fixture retrofit regulations.

WATER DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM

DATE: October 29, 2013

TO: Water Commission

FROM: Toby Goddard, Water Conservation Manager

SUBJECT: Large Landscape Water Budget Program Presentation

RECOMMENDATION: That the Commission receive information and provide comments regarding the Large Landscape Water Budget Program.

BACKGROUND: At its last meeting October 7, the Water Commission received a presentation by Raftelis Consulting, Inc. that provided an overview of the water rate design project, discussed pricing objectives, and presented the results of a water use efficiency analysis of the single family residential sector.

One of the next customer groups that will be analyzed by Raftelis Consulting, Inc. is the dedicated landscape irrigation sector. Both the financial consultant and the consultant working on the Water Conservation Master Plan, Maddaus Water Management, Inc., are evaluating the possibility of tying pricing for this sector to performance against a landscape water budget. To ensure appropriate coordination between these two related efforts, staff felt it would be helpful and timely for the Water Commission to receive background information about the City’s Large Landscape Water Budget Program in advance of the next progress report by both consultants.

DISCUSSION: Staff will make a presentation at the November 4, 2013 Water Commission meeting about the genesis of and progress achieved by the program to date. As part of this report staff will provide information about opportunities to overcome billing obstacles associated with budget based billing for dedicated irrigation accounts.

Santa Cruz council to review plan for next steps in water debate

By J.M. Brown Santa Cruz Sentinel Posted: 10/06/2013 05:56:32 PM PDT

SANTA CRUZ -- City Manager Martín Bernal will take the first step Tuesday toward starting a fresh dialogue with the public about water supply planning while simultaneously completing an analysis of seawater desalination.

Bernal will seek the City Council's blessing on a new public engagement plan to re-evaluate supply challenges, greater conservation and other alternatives, as well as address questions and comments about desal from residents and regulators.

"It means looking at all the alternatives seriously and comprehensively," Bernal said. "It doesn't mean that we're not looking at desal either. We are putting everything on the table."

In the face of mounting opposition to the $129 million proposal, Bernal and Mayor Hilary Bryant announced in August their intent to slow the city's eight-year drive toward desal in favor of reopening options for stabilizing a drought-prone water supply for the city's 90,000 customers.

A draft environmental report on the desal project was completed in May at a cost of $1.6 million, which is just a fraction of $15 million spent so far by the city and its desal partner, the Soquel Creek Water District. Bernal expects Tuesday to detail the possible cost of responding to more than 400 public comments or questions and altering the report to include that input -- a process that could take up to 18 months to complete.

"Completing the cycle by answering the questions and responding to comments is crucial to honoring the participation of the many community members and public agencies who offered comments," Bernal wrote in a staff report for the council.

Bernal recommends forming a panel of environmentalists, business leaders, educators, health care experts and others to examine water supply threats, such as anticipated growth, drought and mandated protection of endangered fish habitat. The panel also would look at ways to create new supply or save more water toward long-term security -- including regional transfers and operational changes -- with a focus on energy use and other environmental impacts. The economic and health risks inherent in water shortages also would be considered.

Rick Longinotti, founder of Desal Alternatives, said in an email to supporters the city should hold off on spending more money to complete the report when an alternatives study is under way. It's understandable, he wrote, that the city wants to finalize it "given the steady drum beat from the Water Department staff over the last 10 years that there is no alternative."

The county is drafting recommendations for water transfers among area agencies. And in addition to negotiating with fisheries regulators over habitat protection, the city is working on a master conservation plan, which the Water Commission will discuss at 7 p.m. Monday in the Council chamber, 809 Center St.

Santa Cruz council weighs next steps for water supply

By J.M. Brown Santa Cruz Sentinel Posted: 10/08/2013 09:46:01 PM PDT

SANTA CRUZ -- Seawater desalination critics urged the Santa Cruz City Council on Tuesday not to finalize a draft environmental analysis of a proposed plant, saying it would demonstrate leaders aren't serious about restarting a public dialogue about water supply.

After 75 minutes of public testimony -- most of which opposed the joint desal project with Soquel Creek Water District -- council members reviewed City Manager Martín Bernal's recommendation to re-engage the public in understanding supply threats, alternatives and conservation.

Bernal urged approval to answer more than 400 comments submitted about the environmental impact report for desal, which he stressed won't require the council to certify the analysis or approve the overall project.

"We don't want to prematurely and imprudently take any options of the table," Bernal said. "We have a partner, Soquel Creek, who has paid for at least half of the EIR. If we want to thoroughly look at all the options it's important that we continue the EIR process."

The council voted unanimously to support an outline by Councilman Don Lane to move forward with a multi-faceted plan to let the public lead an exploration process of alternatives. However, Lane said he did not support spending more now for the EIR, asking staff to return with a range of options for responding to public comments and questions about the plant.

In a letter to colleagues, Lane wrote, "By not proceeding with any new funding commitments for the EIR at this time, we indicate that we are truly in a reset that puts consideration of alternatives on equal footing with consideration of desalination," he wrote.

Councilman Micah Posner lost a bid to stop all work on desal now.

"The community feels injured and to put us back to the correct position for healing , we need to stop spending a dime on this EIR today," Posner said.

Finalizing the report could take up to 18 months. The city and district have spent a total of $15 million on desal so far, $1.7 million of which paid for the EIR. The city's interim water director said addressing questions specific to alternatives could cost about $300,000 between the two agencies, though the cost of fully completing the report is unknown.

Tuesday's meeting was the first since Bernal and Mayor Hilary Bryant called in August for a "reset" in the pursuit of desalination amid growing public opposition. The city is also negotiating with fisheries regulators on habitat protection, working on a master conservation plan and

14 awaiting a county report about water sharing between regional agencies -- all of which will have a significant impact on discussions about water supply.

Bernal said there has been no new water supply since 1975 and the city faces threats from drought and reduced diversions from the North Coast for fish. Economic development goals and anticipated growth also will be impacted by a limited water supply, he said.

Bernal recommended a community committee explore alternatives and their impacts on energy use, neighborhoods and marine life, while taking a close look at demand and conservation. Several community leaders echoed his call to finish the environmental report as a matter of good public process.

"Despite the pressure you will receive tonight to abandon the work, it makes no sense to have nothing to show for the work we have done all these years," Rick Meyer, Soquel Creek Water District board member, said.

Brent Haddad, an associate dean in the Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz and a consultant on the desal project, said, "A lot of us commented on it, and a lot of us want to hear what the responses will be."

But former Mayor Bruce Van Allen of Santa Cruz Desal Alternatives called for ending all spending on desal.

"We should be giving this the same importance as we gave earthquake recovery," Van Allen said. "Perhaps this should be water vision Santa Cruz not water desal Plan B." Former county Supervisor Gary Patton, representative of the Community Water Coalition, said the city for too many years had blindly followed the lead of Water Department leaders dedicated to desal.

"Put yourself in charge," Patton told the council.

Mary Odegaard, a board member of the Santa Cruz County Sierra Club's executive committee, said, "Now with the 'reset,' there is no need to spend any more money on a draft EIR. The money should be used now to pursue alternatives."

Santa Cruzan Fred Geiger said 73 percent of voters in November 2012 supported Measure P -- which requires a popular vote before the city constructs a plant -- and those people want to vote.

"You're hiding before your next election," he said. "This is the biggest financial screwup in the history of Santa Cruz."

Santa Cruz council puts desal alternatives back in public conversation

By Sentinel Staff Santa Cruz Sentinel

Posted: 10/09/2013 06:42:52 PM PDT

SANTA CRUZ -- The Santa Cruz City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to support an outline by Councilman Don Lane to move forward with a plan to let the public lead a conversation of alternatives to the city's water supply.

Lane said he did not support spending more now for the environmental impact report on the proposed joint desal project with the Soquel Creek Water District. Lane asked staff to return with a range of options to respond to public comments and questions about the plant.

Councilman Micah Posner lost a bid to stop all work on desal.

"The community feels injured and to put us back to the correct position for healing , we need to stop spending a dime on this EIR today," Posner said.

Several critics of desal urged the City Council on Tuesday not to finalize a draft environmental analysis of a proposed plant.

City Manager Martín Bernal recommended the council re-engage the public about water supply threats, alternatives and conservation.

Bernal said the city needs to answer more than 400 comments submitted about the environmental impact report for desal, which he stressed won't require the council to certify the analysis or approve the overall project.

Finalizing the report could take up to 18 months. The city and district have spent $15 million on desal so far, $1.7 million of which paid for the EIR. The city's interim water director said addressing questions specific to alternatives could cost about $300,000 between the two agencies, though the cost of completing the report is unknown.

In August, Bernal and Mayor Hilary Bryant called for a "reset" in the pursuit of desalination amid growing public opposition. The city also is negotiating with fisheries regulators on habitat protection, working on a master conservation plan and awaiting a county report about water sharing between regional agencies.

Santa Cruz offers education in water

By Shanna McCord Santa Cruz Sentinel POSTED: 10/10/2013 03:37:08 PM PDT

SANTA CRUZ -- The Santa Cruz Water Department wants the public to have the inside scoop on the city's water supply and statewide water issues. Four events will be held during the next two weeks to give people a firsthand view of the local water system and explain complex issues such as how water is treated and delivered to faucets.

The Water Department -- the largest in Santa Cruz County -- serves homes and businesses from Davenport to Capitola, providing water to roughly 90,000 customers.

The first water education event is Saturday with a paddle down the San Lorenzo River from the County Building to the Boardwalk and back.

The paddle tour is co-sponsored by the Coastal Watershed Council to highlight the plants and animals connected with the river, which is the city's primary source of water.

A tour of Graham Hill Treatment Plant on Thursday will show folks how water is treated before delivery.

Santa Cruz water historian Melanie Mayer will lead a tour of the overall water system in Santa Cruz on Monday, including visits to early indigenous settlements, water sources that fed missionaries and early sources for the current water supply.

State Natural Resources Secretary John Laird, a Santa Cruz resident, will speak on Nov. 2 about statewide water issues. His talk will be held at Louden Nelson Community Center.

Follow Sentinel reporter Shanna McCord at Twitter.com/scnewsmom

IF YOU GO

Events to learn about the Santa Cruz water supply

Saturday: 1-4 p.m. San Lorenzo River paddle tour Thursday: 10 a.m.-noon Graham Hill Treatment Plant tour Oct. 28: Tour Nov. 2: 10 a.m. Coffee and talk with Natural Resources Secretary John Laird at Louden Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St. INFORMATION: Reservations are required. Call 831-420-5213 or email Eileen Cross at [email protected]

Kim Adamson: Sentinel wrong on call to abandon desal EIR

By Kim Adamson

Special to the Sentinel

Posted: 10/12/2013 03:49:39 PM PDT

In the Oct. 10 editorial, "Money down the drain," the Sentinel Editorial Board took a distinctively nonregional view of a very regional water problem. In calling for the city of Santa Cruz to spend no more money to answer questions about a desal plant, the Sentinel ignores the fact that Soquel Creek Water District is a partner and has shared in the cost and the evaluation of this joint project that could provide regional benefits.

The district's problem may be clearer to understand since we rely 100 percent on an overdrafted groundwater basin that is unsustainable; however, attention needs to be drawn to the fact that the city also relies on groundwater for its supply during summertime. Seawater intrusion, a condition that allows seawater to enter and contaminate the groundwater supply, has been detected along our coastal monitoring network in the Seascape, La Selva Beach, and also Live Oak (near the city's well) areas. We need to reduce our groundwater reliance and limit pumping to prevent seawater intrusion from reaching our production wells. Once it reaches our drinking water wells or those used by others, it makes the water supply unusable.

The district is facing mandatory water curtailments of 35 percent over our already low water use for at least 20 years in the absence of a supplemental supply. These curtailments could hurt not only the economy of Mid-county, but they could have a drastic effect on the economies of the city and the county as well. Less tourism, hardships for local businesses, fewer jobs, and more social services -- these challenges don't confine themselves within jurisdictional boundaries.

In light of this, the district and the city proposed a regional solution to the water crisis we share. Through this lengthy and open process we released a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) evaluating desalination, as well as other alternatives. Individual citizens, organizations, and agencies took the time to educate themselves on the issue and submitted over 400 thoughtful comments and questions.

The district takes its responsibility to its citizens very seriously. We support this EIR process that promotes community engagement and civic involvement. We value those comments and feel that as long as there is a single person waiting for a response, we have an obligation to provide that response. Not ignore it.

Our commitment continues to be environmental stewardship and protecting the groundwater basin for current and future beneficial uses. We appreciate the working relationships we have with our local and regional partners, our customers, and the community at large on finding long- term solutions in terms of additional conservation as well as supplemental supply.

18 Let this not be a debate as to whether we should stop looking at desalination or jump to the conclusion that "desal is dead." Rather let's take this opportunity to think holistically on the importance of water and its impacts related to our quality of life, the environment, and the economy -- and respond to the questions and comments (that include desal and looking at other alternatives) -- so that we are all able to make informed choices and decisions when the time comes.

Kim Adamson is general manager of the Soquel Creek Water District.

Stand-Up Paddlers Take to San Lorenzo

Environmentalists want the river open for recreation all the time

by Jacob Pierce on Oct 15, 2013

Just a stone’s the throw from downtown, 50 people went canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding last Saturday. Okay, but how many reported queasiness from the muddy muck we call the San Lorenzo River?

Wait, zero?

Huh. Well, Santa Cruzans really dodged a hypodermic needle there—amiright?

“People had lots of fun, saw lots of wildlife. People on the levee were excited,” says Laurie Egan of the Coastal Watershed Council, which organized Saturday’s event.

Santa Cruz City Council waived rules that prohibit boating on the river for last weekend’s River Paddle Tour. City councilmember Don Lane showed up—as did councilmember Micah Posner and Mayor Hilary Bryant, who both paddled a couple laps. County Resources Director John Ricker came and said studies have shown the water, while not as healthy as Brita-filtered drinking water, is not dangerous.

Greg Pepping, executive director The Coastal Watershed Council, says the event was just one step toward getting the council to approve recreation on the river all the time. “Other people love having a river by their downtown,” he says. “We can have that too, and we have way too many creative people for it to continue this way.”

Soquel Creek Water District leaders talk about supply options

By Shanna McCord Santa Cruz Sentinel POSTED: 10/15/2013 09:26:50 PM PDT

CAPITOLA -- Sparse rain coupled with salty seawater eating at the water supply that feeds homes and businesses from Capitola to La Selva Beach has Soquel Creek Water District leaders seriously weighing alternative supplies. District leaders said one possible solution to the ongoing shortage saga is to join a regional multimillion dollar desalination plant proposed for Moss Landing that would also be used in the Monterey and Salinas areas.

At the district's board meeting Tuesday, representatives from DeepWater Desal described their idea to pull water from a deep-water canyon in the Monterey Bay a mile offshore of Moss Landing and turn it into fresh water.

DeepWater Desal CEO Brent Constantz said a regional desalination plant that pumps water from deep depths would be friendlier to the environment and provide cheaper water than smaller, individual desal plants.

The DeepWater plant would be 10 times bigger than Santa Cruz's proposed desal plant, which has been sidelined in the face of community opposition.

"Surface water is full of life," Constantz said. "We go way below the zone where there's no life. It's an environmentally sensible way to draw water out of the ocean."

The proposal calls for warming the 100-feet-deep water by sending it through a new regional data center, where it would cool off equipment before the salt is stripped to make drinking water.

Constantz said the plant could lead to the installation of dark fiber cabling for the Internet.

Board member Bruce Daniels said he was "disappointed" in the DeepWater Desal presentation.

He was critical of a slide from Constantz that showed the "symbiotic relationships" between the desal plant and factors such as "carbon sequestration" and "aquaculture."

"There's been no talk of cost, no timeline," Daniels. "All I've seen is buzz word compliant. All I want is water."

Constantz told the Soquel Creek board that his desal plant does not depend on its participation.

21 Taj Dufour, the district's engineering manager, briefly talked about the option of building a district-only desal plant.

Dufour said a plant that could be used by other water districts in Santa Cruz County would be preferable.

The longtime shortage dilemma for Soquel Creek is prompting several public discussions over the next few months that would end in a plan that would be voted on by the district's customers.

Also under consideration is year-round mandatory rationing.

The district plans to begin monthly billing in 2014 to help customers better understand how much water they're using on a daily basis, General Manager Kim Adamson said.

Soquel Creek is looking for a fall-back plan in the event that the city of Santa Cruz ditches its desalination plant proposal, which has been suspended due to intense opposition from the community.

Santa Cruz has hit pause on desalination to allow a deeper, community based examination of alternatives.

Santa Cruz wants to revive the San Lorenzo River with recreation

By Shanna McCord Santa Cruz Sentinel

POSTED: 10/19/2013 03:21:20 PM PDT

A snowy egret lifts off from the San Lorenzo River in downtown Santa Cruz as Coastal Watershed Council Executive Director Greg Pepping and Stewardship Coordinator Laurie Egan paddle a passenger in a canoe near the Laurel Street Bridge. Pepping and Egan needed to get permission from the city to paddle on the river, since the activity is normally forbidden.

Santa Cruz Mayor Hilary Bryant paddles a stand up board under the Riverside Avenue Bridge Wednesday.

Shmuel Thaler/SENTINEL

SANTA CRUZ -- A decades-old Santa Cruz law makes it illegal to paddle a canoe or wade in the lower San Lorenzo River.

Such an offense could land you a ticket from police.

Some city officials would like to change course and open the waterway to recreation -- kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and canoeing among others -- in an effort to revitalize the river between Highway 1 and the ocean.

Talks are in their early phase, though Mayor Hilary Bryant believes adding recreational opportunities would be an asset for the city, especially because the river levee and surrounding area is plagued with homeless camping, loitering and drug deals.

23 The change would require City Council approval.

"To me, this is one part of a bigger vision to reactivate our river," Bryant said. "We spend so much time on the challenges around the river, we forget how beautiful the river is."

The San Lorenzo River, which begins in the Santa Cruz Mountains, cuts through the center of town and serves as the city's primary source of drinking water.

Kayaking and swimming are allowed on the river north of town.

Greg Pepping of the Coastal Watershed Council is pushing the city to jump on board with the shift to recreational use. Pepping broached the subject with Bryant a few months ago and has since helped in developing a plan.

Pepping loaded up a few canoes last weekend with about 50 people excited about the chance to use the river for fun. He put a canoe on the shallow river again on Wednesday, with a temporary permit from the city, and paddled between the Soquel Avenue and Riverside Avenue bridges to show a reporter what the experience will be like to float under the concrete bridges and see the wildlife.

Pepping said the hope is to have a kayak rental, launch ramp and small dock on the river bank.

Pepping said it's "no brainer" to allow recreation on the river to draw more people to the area as a way to make it safer.

"We're turning the conversation from one of negativity and frustration to a positive connection for the community," he said. "The river can be a draw for tourists and recreations."

The plan, he said, is to create a partnership with the city and county to create a river oversight committee that would monitor public safety, access, flood control and wildlife.

Organizers behind the river endeavor would like to see Santa Cruz mirror cities like San Antonio, Texas, Kansas City, Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo -- cities with vibrant, active riverfronts.

They say if Los Angeles, which is in the process of revamping its 11-mile "concrete straitjacket" of a river into a place of robust nature and recreation, can do it, so can Santa Cruz.

"There's too many creative people here to not find a solution to this," Pepping said.

Santa Cruz water officials call for continued restrictions

By Shanna McCord Santa Cruz Sentinel

POSTED: 10/21/2013 04:57:42 PM PDT

SANTA CRUZ -- Without a drop of rain in the forecast, the Santa Cruz water supply grows more bleak by the day, which is forcing city officials to continue the cutbacks that started six months ago.

The Santa Cruz Water Department will ask the City Council at its meeting Tuesday to approve extending the Stage 1 shortage alert that started in May to limit outdoor water use.

Tuesday's afternoon session begins at 2:30 p.m., a half hour earlier than usual.

Water restrictions normally would expire on Oct. 31 because that's when demand tends to drop off substantially with shorter days and colder temperatures.

However, persistently dry conditions have exacerbated the shortage. October usually marks the beginning of the rainy season with an inch and a half of rain. November follows with 3.5 inches on average.

The San Lorenzo River, the primary water source, is running "very low" and production from the Live Oak wells is being scaled back to stay within specific annual limits, water officials said.

Loch Lomond Reservoir, the city's reserve supply, has fallen to 71 percent of normal since March and is tapped every day to meet current demands, said Toby Goddard of the Water Department.

"The reservoir level is continuing to drop and the situation remains tenuous," Goddard said. "Until we get some rain, we're drawing it down pretty hard."

The water supply also is hampered by state and federal diversion limits for fish, which all but eliminates water flow from North Coast creeks.

Water officials will lift restrictions when the river and streams have been restored and there's no need to draw on the reservoir to sustain daily demands.

"We want people to know we're not back to normal yet," Goddard said.

25 In addition to the water emergency, the council will consider submitting a grant application to the Regional Transportation Commission of Santa Cruz County to build a segment of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network.

The commission has proposed building a rail trail to run across the county from Davenport to Watsonville at an approximate cost of $120 million, which includes replacing rail trestles and new bridges along existing tracks for the nonmotorized uses.

Public Works officials propose building a section of trail starting near Natural Bridges State Beach to Bay Street. A second phase would extend from Bay Street to Pacific Avenue where the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center is located.

The estimated cost of the three-mile trail is $5.3 million, said Chris Schneiter of Public Works.

The commission is asking local jurisdictions to contribute 20 percent of the cost and agree to construct and maintain the trail, as well as be in charge of enforcement and take on liability for the trail's use.

Grant applications are due to the transportation commission by Oct. 29.

Should the Rain Not Fall WEDNESDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2013 00:00 JOEL HERSCH NEWS - ENVIRONMENT

The City of Santa Cruz reverts back to basics in confronting water supply issues and community engagement

When it comes to solving and engaging the public on Santa Cruz's water supply problems, it's becoming increasingly clear to local leaders that the way to begin is not by spearheading solutions, such as transfers with other districts, new conservation tactics, or the highly contentious desalination plant, but rather to start with the basics: what are the city's water sources, and what are the problems it faces? Since top city officials recommended putting plans for desal on hold in August, following the community's increasingly vocal opposition, there has been a re-thinking of how the city intends to communicate water issues to the community. “When the council started talking about taking a pause on desal and placing everything on the table, part of that had to do with hearing from the community that they didn't feel that they'd been included or engaged,” says Eileen Cross, communications specialist for the City of Santa Cruz Water Department. Cross was hired in April to help with the city's communication needs on the draft Environmental Impact Report preparation for desalination. The city plans to hire another communications specialist by the end of the year, which Assistant to the City Manager Scott Collins says is part of a citywide effort to improve community outreach. As part of this new initiative, the city is hosting a series of events throughout the fall that are geared at providing people with a “foundation on water 101,” Cross says. This means addressing the questions of “what are our water sources; how do we treat it; how do we process it; [and] how do we get it from the treatment plant to your tap,” she says. Recent events included a paddle tour of the San Lorenzo River—a first for the city, which Cross says was intended to get people invested and thinking more about one of Santa Cruz's most important water sources, and last week’s tour of the Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant, where the city processes up to 16 million gallons of water per day. Local water historian Melanie Mayer will give a more complete tour of the city’s water system on Monday, Oct. 28, and, on Saturday, Nov. 2, former mayor and Natural Resources Secretary John Laird will be at Louden Nelson Community Center at 10 a.m. to talk about the state of water issues in California, more generally.

A recent paddle tour of the San Lorenzo River was one of many city-sponsored events taking place this fall with the aim of educating the public on the city's water system and supply.Looking forward, City Councilman Don Lane says communication with the public will be central to determining the solutions for water shortages. On Tuesday, Oct. 8, the city council voted unanimously to support a set of guidelines Lane proposed for how to move forward with water decisions in a way that allows the public to more ac- tively participate in the conversation. “The community engagement has already changed the conversation,” he says, referring to the freeze on desal, “and it will continue to shape it.” One facet of the guidelines is to create a blue ribbon committee comprising of a variety of stakeholders, including members of the business community, who will weigh in on the ongoing decision-making process. He says there will also need to be public meetings, workshops, and online voting opportunities. Lane says it is key for the community first to establish common ground on what the problems are. There is no argument about whether Santa Cruz faces challenges with water supply, but when one argument states, hypothetically, that the worst case scenario is a 20 percent water shortage, and the other states it is a 40 percent shortage, then the ways to solve those two problems are very different, he says. “Obviously, if you have disagreement about what the problem is, you'll never agree on the solution,” Lane says. “Over the next couple of years, we need to talk about what we do have and where are we short.” Mike Rotkin, a former city councilmember and co-founder of the community activism group Sus- tainable Water Coalition, agrees, saying the city and desal proponents made the mistake of fo- cusing on the technical questions surrounding desalination rather than the nature of Santa Cruz's vulnerabilities to water shortages. “The first step should have been to educate people about our water situation, not about the solutions to our water situation,” says Rotkin, who was originally opposed to the desal option but, after conducting research, became a supporter. Periodically over the decades, Santa Cruz has been forced to confront its water shortages during extended dry spells—the worst of which was in '76 and '77, when the city dealt with a multi-

28 ple-year drought. The city now gauges its worst-case scenario water-use reduction protocols on those years, says Toby Goddard, water conservation manager for the city's water department. “Every year is different,” he says. “There are years with lots of run-off, and years with very little.” The City of Santa Cruz is currently in a Stage 1 water shortage, which can escalate up to a Stage 5 in a multi-year drought, he says. One of the central difficulties in coming to a decision on how to solve water supply reliability issues, he says, is not having a range between the city's current water demands and how it would change with population growth, or a range between the city's water supply in a normal rainfall year and the water supply in a drought year. “And therein lies the problem,” Goddard says. “You’ve got a lot of moving parts.” Those two factors—current demand and growth, and normal rainy years versus drought years, both of which are in independent flux—need to come together into numbers that give the city a target goal. According to the Water Department's 2010 Urban Water Management Plan, the prospective estimate for 2015's water supply in a normal rainy year is a supply of 4,010 million gallons per year (MGY), with a demand of 3,684, which ensures a surplus for the approximate 93,000 people the water department serves. In the scenario of a 2015 multi-year drought, similar to '76 and '77—what Goddard calls “a very haunting dry year”—the supply total would be 2,640 with a demand total of 3,684, inverting that surplus into a shortfall. The city will face a major shortfall following two or more years of drought, at which point, Goddard says, it becomes a serious problem. Those ranges are also driven up and down by potential water conservation forces and future policies that detract from the city's available water sources, such as the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), which the city has been in negotiation over with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for about a decade. The HCP would establish a balance between Santa Cruz's water supply and the amount of water required by endangered fish, which could subtract a significant portion of the city's water source. Lacking a timeframe for the HCP, Lane suggests the city implement its own deadline of one year to finalize its proposal. “We just have to be done, because we can't do the rest of the math until we have these numbers figured out,” Lane says. “The HCP is the biggest unknown of all.” On top of establishing more informed numbers for the city's needs in normal years versus drought years, Lane's guidelines include a hold on allocating any more city funds for the desal EIR, but to remain in communication with the Soquel Creek Water District—its partner on the joint agency desal plan—about its needs, in order to address regional water problems and solutions. Lane’s guidelines also call for studies and reports on the top three alternatives to desal in addition to conservation and water transfers. Possibilities include a large wastewater-recycling project, new wells at UC Santa Cruz, a new water storage facility in an abandoned quarry, and buy- ing water from another source, such as a regional desalination project not owned or operated by the city. Lane says that to start moving in the direction of solutions, the city needs to think about the issues as a math problem. “There is a quantity of water that we have now, and there are quantities that will be lost in different ways,” whether it’s to the HCP proposal, a multi-year drought, or a population increase, he says. “We need to figure out what we do within the variability.” 29 As the range of the city's need under the various circumstances becomes clearer, says God- dard, so will the solutions. “Somehow, by listening to one another and going over and reviewing and comparing notes, and agreeing and disagreeing, we'll get to some arithmetic that gives us a target,” Goddard says. “I doubt that we'll ever have perfect information. In the real world we deal with imperfect information. But [water supply] is something that's riveting the community right now, so we have to get the word out and sharpen our understanding.”