REMEMBER TO WINTERIZE PIPES EL DORADO IRRIGATION DISTRICT NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2020 1. Insulate all accessible pipes using pipe insulation (this can be found at your local hardware store). 2. Keep all exterior entry, exit and overhead doors to unheated spaces closed as much as possible during the winter months. 3. Ensure that all cracks, holes, and other openings on the exterior walls are sealed tightly with caulk or insulation to The Waterfront prevent cold air from penetrating the wall cavity. Solar Projects Update Save on Sewer Bills Year Round 4. If you have rest rooms, kitchens, or service rooms with water sources located on exterior walls, it is likely that the plumbing for these systems is located inside the exterior walls. Or, if you have piping coming up through the floor The residential sewer over an unheated room or unheated crawlspace under your building, it is likely there is plumbing exposed to freezing commodity charge is based January July weather. on what we call the “winter February August March September 5. During extremely cold weather let all faucets drip to prevent freezing of the water inside the pipe and if freezing does quarter average” or the water consumption during April October occur, to relieve pressure buildup in the pipes between the ice blockage and the faucet. The pressure buildup is the May November the winter months. actual cause of bursting pipes. Using cold water will save on your electricity or gas bill. June December If you experience a burst pipe, first turn off the water supply to your house (the shut-off valve is usually next to your For billing cycles 1, 2, 3, or water meter). 4, the water consumption on the February bill is used Here are just a few tips to After you have turned off the water, call your preferred plumber immediately. to calculate a new sewer get you started. commodity charge to go Left: Workers drill holes to place piers to support the new solar panels. Right: A view across a into effect on the April bill. • Stop irrigating during Don’t Forget Your Irrigation Timer! holding pond toward the solar field at the El Dorado Hills Wastewater Treatment Plant. the winter. Construction continues on the solar projects at both the El Dorado For billing cycles 5, 6, 7, or • Cover your irrigation Were you affected by PG&E power outages? If you were, it could mean your irrigation timer is reset to its default Hills and Deer Creek wastewater treatment plants. EID's subcontractor, 8, the water consumption control valves to factory settings, which may cause your timers to go off your regular, optimal irrigation schedule. Teichert, has completed grading and site preparations at the El Dorado on the January bill is used prevent cracks and When the power goes out, remember: in addition to resetting your clocks and other electronic appliances after a Hills plant and drilling for the solar panel piers is underway at the time to calculate the new sewer leakage caused by the power interruption, don’t forget to check your irrigation timer as well. this Waterfront is going to press in late October. commodity charge to go winter weather. into effect on the March bill. • Install insulating wrap Sly Park Recreation Area was again honored by readers of the Mountain At El Dorado Hills, the expanded solar facility has been sized to offset approximately 69 percent of the power consumed at the plant’s ultraviolet The new commodity charge around pipes that can Democrat in the paper's annual Readers' Choice awards. In not just one, but potentially freeze. Our two categories. disinfection facility. The existing solar facility, installed in 2006, will con- will remain in effect for one tinue to offset approximately 47 percent of the power consumed through full year. coldest temperatures Sly Park Recreation Area was voted “Best Recreation Facility” and “Best the remaining plant processes. Together, approximately 60 percent of the are normally between You can positively affect Local Attraction.” total power consumption of the plant will be offset by solar. Construction December and March. your sewer bill for the rest at both facilities is expected to be complete Summer 2021. A big “Thank you” to everybody who voted for us! Visit the EID website to of the year by conserving Scan for reserve your future camping stay-great fun for the whole family. For more on the solar projects go to www.eid.org/ maintenance tips water during this period. and more from EID Remember, annual passes make great gifts for the holidays. Not only do you about-us/project-updates or scan the QR code with your Customer Service get access to Sly Park Recreation Area, but also Silver and Caples lakes off of smartphone or tablet camera. Highway 88. Don't FOG Your Drain! During this holiday season, be mindful of kitchen waste and take care not to FOG your drain! When fats, oils and grease (FOG) are put down your drain they can cause many problems further down the sewer pipe. Lique- fied grease and fat from animal products will solidify and clog pipes much like a clog in a human artery. Liquid oils can also coat pipes and contribute to blockages. Blockages may cause a sewage 2020 REGULAR BOARD MEETINGS backup into your home, resulting in expensive cleanup costs and January February March April May June July August September October November December repairs to your sewer pipes, home, and belongings. 13 10 9 — 11 8 13 10 14 13 (T) 9 14 And the damage might not stay localized to your household. Blockages may also trigger an overflow or backup of sewage into streets 27 24 23 27 26 (T) 22 — 24 — 26 — — or waterways creating a public health risk and threatening the environment. Board meetings generally occur on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Dates marked (T) are scheduled on Tuesdays. By following a few commonsense guidelines, you can help avoid sewer overflows, backups, and costly repairs at home: In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and California law, it is the policy of the El Dorado Irrigation District to offer its public programs, services and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. If you are a person with a disability and require information or materials in an appropriate alternative format; or if you require any other • Pour cooking oils and grease into an empty milk carton or other sturdy paper container accommodation, please contact the ADA Coordinator at the number or address below at least 72 hours prior to the meeting or when you desire to receive services. Advance notification within this guideline will enable the District to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility. The District ADA Coordinator can be reached by phone at (530) 642-4013 or e-mail at [email protected]. • Remove remaining FOG by scraping greasy pans and absorbing oil with a paper towel The Waterfront is written and designed by EID’s Communications Department. • Dispose of these items in your green yard trimmings cart (if available) or garbage www.eid.org • El Dorado Irrigation District • 2890 Mosquito Road • Placerville, CA 95667 • 530-622-4513 | 916-965-0930 4 To get more information about FOG, go to EID web site at www.eid.org/FOG or scan the QR code. Because EID owns and controls Sly Park, the District is not GM Message, Cont. Message from the subject to unnecessary federal government regulations. It is likely A project like the Forebay Dam modification took three years to finish, but many more years in planning and preparing the financing. General Manager that EID’s service area and customers would have been under significant water shortages during the historic drought of 2011 – Now the new dam will serve our customers for generations providing additional storage for emergency water supplies and increased hydroelectric generation, among other benefits. Investing in Projects that Have 2017 had we not owned this valuable resource. Generation-Spanning Benefits With EID’s planning and construction of the Hazel Creek The Folsom Lake Intake project, which commenced construction in the summer, will replace raw water pumps that the entire El Dorado Tunnel, EID can move and store water from its federally- Hills community relies upon. The facility, EID's only means of accessing its water supplies from Folsom Lake—a third of EID's overall Jim Abercrombie licensed hydroelectric project, Project 184. This is incredibly water supply—will provide an adequate and steady supply to meet the El Dorado Hills water treatment plant's permitted capacity. valuable because Sly Park is used as a drought protection The Upper Main Ditch piping project, also underway now, is another project that is based in Pollock Pines but has benefits to As 2020 comes to an end, it’s important to think about how some reservoir as well as a reservoir that we can use to increase communities all the way to El Dorado Hills. The project helps protect the water quality going into our water treatment plant and helps of the significant investments the District is making in our vital non-rate revenue through water transfer sales—thus reducing us conserve water by capturing up to 1,800 acre-feet of water that is lost to seepage and evaporation as it travels down the unlined community infrastructure has required measured planning and pressure on rates. earthen ditch. significant financing to achieve. And once achieved, the benefits for our customers are long-lasting and have positive impact. Quite simply, owning the Large projects like these also require our community's investment in the form of rate adjustments to help us ensure the system our facilities gives EID local homes, schools, and businesses rely on remains safe and available, 24/7.