Rising to the Challenge
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WATER Rising to the challenge EAST BAY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT 2014-2015 Biennial Report EBMUD continues to invest in infrastructure to reliably Much of EBMUD’s work falls under the umbrella of It’s one of the greatest Sacramento Valley shored up our supplies. We collaborated deliver safe water and treat wastewater. As we embark on protecting natural resources, and we are integrating Drought. tests for a water and with the Bureau of Reclamation to manage the flows on our Pipeline Rebuild initiative, we are rethinking how best, sustainability into our decision-making and planning. wastewater agency. Throughout the state, years of dry the Sacramento River and diversions at Freeport to balance and at what pace, to renew pipes to ensure reliability. This weather have left their mark. As our water supplies our water supply needs and fishery obligations. To protect project will require our teams to work together and learn On the financial front, our customers will benefit from the decreased to near-record lows, we rose to the challenge fish and their habitats, EBMUD changed water flows and from each other. Like a road map, EBMUD’s core values of extensive work we’ve done to refinance and restructure bonds and met the East Bay’s water needs thanks to lessons gave fish a truck ride to help them on their journey to and stewardship, integrity, respect and teamwork will guide our for debt savings and plan for long-term financial stability. learned from the 1970s drought and years of subsequent from the Mokelumne River. We will continue this work, plus daily work and shape the District’s future. These values are We know it’s not easy, but we must continue to save water, planning that readied us for the next drought. For the enhance natural spawning grounds below Camanche Dam solidified as a result of an organizational assessment that rain or shine. It’s the sensible and sustainable thing to do. past three decades, we have focused on developing new to support the environment that we rely on for clear crisp helps address the challenges we face due to anticipated Looking forward, our plans for future droughts will continue approaches to protect and stretch the East Bay’s water drinking water. turnover in our aging workforce. supplies. Because of our investments in conservation, to rely on flexible solutions to meet regional needs with recycling and supplemental supplies, we are managing this Importantly, our customers stepped up over the last two Locally, partnerships with cities and agencies are keeping regional partnerships. drought without drastic consequences. years, reducing water use 17 percent overall since February the San Francisco Bay clean as we work together, under an 11, 2014, which saved about 70,000 acre feet of water. agreement with the United States Environmental Protection Water supplies from the Sacramento River were delivered Drought, like any emergency, is expensive. To pay for the Agency to repair and replace cracked sewer lines. EBMUD to East Bay taps through the Freeport Regional Water cost of additional supplies and drought operations will continue to implement the regional private sewer lateral Facility in summer 2014, in time to bridge the EBMUD established a drought rate structure and Alexander R. Coate ordinance, work with communities to eliminate storm water General Manager water supply gap when our Mokelumne implemented a drought response fund to sources entering the sewer system, and upgrade our large River supply was stressed. Water supplement contingency funds. wastewater pipelines. transfers from entities in the SHORTAGE Contents FACING DROUGHT 4–7 THANK YOU FOR USING LESS 8–9 PREVENT LEAKY SURPRISES 10–11 SUSTAINABILITY IN EVERYTHING 12-15 400 READY FOR TODAY, PREPARED FOR TOMORROW 16-19 300 200 OUR MISSION 20 100 RESILIENT 0 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 3 Facing drought The past four years marked the driest period in EBMUD as Placer County Water Agency and the agricultural districts Above: a courtesy dock at Camanche history. Disappointing snow levels and precipitation Sycamore Mutual Water Company and Reclamation District South Shore sits high and dry as water meant reservoirs did not refill. EBMUD worked tirelessly to 1004. These transfers have a double benefit: they provide has receded from the launching facilities. implement our comprehensive drought plans. water in dry years for EBMUD customers while protecting Below: EBMUD Ranger Supervisor Mark natural resources by keeping water in the lower American Bolton examines Camanche Reservoir’s EBMUD learned much from the 1977 drought, especially and Sacramento rivers when salmon need it. Purchasing dry lake bed. Camanche is EBMUD’s that our customers are great at conserving. That experience emergency water supplies came at a cost of $16 million for largest Sierra reservoir. also revealed the pain felt by residents and our local 2015 and will be paid through a temporary drought surcharge economy when 30 percent mandatory water rationing of 25 percent on all customer bills. was imposed. To limit future hardship, EBMUD and its ratepayers invested nearly $1 billion to diversify and In the East Bay, regional water agencies are working increase water supplies during the last three decades. together to improve water supply reliability by using existing facilities in ways that benefit multiple stakeholders. The Bay The result? In addition to its main water source – the Area Regional Reliability partners are also moving forward Mokelumne River watershed – EBMUD was able to, for the with a plan to evaluate projects that would hasten drought first time, purchase and deliver emergency water supplies recovery, strengthen emergency response and improve from the Sacramento River to supplement dwindling supplies, water supply in the short and long term. Numerous projects secure connections between neighboring water systems and will be evaluated, such as expanded water treatment, partner with customers to increase conservation. new connections between water systems and expanded Water from groundwater and surface storage. diverse sources Since its inception, EBMUD has protected the health of the Today’s water supply Mokelumne River watershed. However, many stakeholders portfolio includes along the river including EBMUD are grappling with aggressive conservation, competing needs for drinking water, the environment and emergency supplies from recreation in the Upper and Lower Mokelumne watersheds. the Sacramento River and Recently, a group of more than 20 stakeholders completed water recycling. the MokeWISE program – the Mokelumne Watershed Interregional Sustainability Evaluation. The group focused Because conservation, DROUGHT on developing alternatives to manage water resources to though significant, was not meet the needs of regional stakeholders and the river. They Before the drought, enough to meet the East Bay’s needs during this drought, crafted a plan for future projects that cut across boundaries, campers typically EBMUD purchased 18,600 acre feet of emergency water and will seek funding for plans that aim to protect and enjoyed a waterfront supplies through a federal contract with the U.S. Bureau of campsite at Monument improve water quality, water supply and the river ecosystem. Reclamation in 2014, and another 33,250 acre feet in 2015. RV Park at Camanche The drought brought challenges: reduced water supplies, South Shore. Now, this Statewide conditions due to extreme drought resulted in area is arid. restrictions on diverting water, changes in the taste and drastic cuts to EBMUD’s federal water supply contract. To smell of EBMUD water due to warmer temperatures, lower bridge the gap, EBMUD partnered with Sacramento Valley reservoir levels and the introduction of Sacramento River entities to purchase 4,750 acre feet in 2014 and 25,000 water. Despite these challenges, we have weathered acre feet in 2015. These water transfers underscore the nature’s hardships and we are prepared for whatever 2016 importance of partnerships, especially during drought. This brings, whether it be dry, wet from El Niño, or somewhere is the framework we established with water agencies such in between. Sep 30, 2013 Jan 17, 2014 Feb 11, 2014 Feb 25, 2014 Apr 22, 2014 Aug 12, 2014 Sep 30, 2014 Nov 4, 2014 Oct – Dec 2014 Dec 5, 2014 EBMUD ended water year Governor issued drought EBMUD asked customers EBMUD approved purchase EBMUD approved purchase EBMUD adopted Water EBMUD ended water year EBMUD and Dublin San EBMUD held community EBMUD asked customers 2013 with 540,000 acre feet declaration. to voluntarily cut water of 4,750 acre-feet of transfer and delivery of 18,600 Shortage Emergency 2014 with 404,000 acre Ramon Services District meetings on water supply to voluntarily increase 4 in storage. use 10% from 2013. water from Placer County acre feet of Central Valley Regulations and mandatory feet in storage– the 7th tested emergency water and drought rates. conservation to 15%. 5 Customers responded with Water Agency. Project water from the state-wide outdoor lowest end-of-September connections. 13% conservation. EBMUD Sacramento River. watering restrictions. storage in EBMUD history. committed to saving up to Our situation was improved Nov 7, 2014 20% at its facilities. due to customer savings of 15,000 acre feet and the EBMUD received $2 million emergency supply purchase grant to expand San Ramon of 23,350 acre feet. Valley Recycled Water Drought timeline 2014 » Program. 1 acre-foot 35’ 25’ 15’ 5’ Conservation expert Scott Sommerfeld shows gardeners how to install in-line drip irrigation, a more efficient option to water landscapes. Reaching out during drought To connect with customers, we used many methods to deliver the drought message. » The Board of Directors held » Fix a leak week partnerships » Over 200 community workshops community meetings to discuss were established with 41 and events were held to limited water supplies, proposed local hardware stores. support conservation. drought stages and drought » Postcards and mailers to renters » Drought updates and water charges.