Change and Challenge

By Ernest Solomon

The District faces change and challenge in the coming years.

Change. The District is in the beginning stages of design and construction of a new operation center. The new op center will replace the existing facility, which will be subsumed into the new town hall complex. The final details of the lease agreement with the Town are being finalized now. Selection of an architect is expected by early September. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2005 and should be completed by the end of 2005.

Challenge. The number of residents and per capita consumption in the District are increasing. The District now uses 34% more water than it is allotted (our supply assurance) according to a formula established in 1981 between the SFPUC (the provider of Hetch Hetchy water) and BAWUA (a group of 29 agencies which have a contract to buy water from SFPUC). Because some agencies use less than their supply assurance, the District does not have a problem...yet. However, in times of drought, or in five to eight years when demand begins to exceed the Hetch Hetchy system's capacity, the District may have to enforce onerous rates to reduce consumption.

The largest use of water is for landscaping irrigation--summertime water use far exceeds wintertime use.

Meeting the Challenge. The District presently uses several tools to encourage a more conservation-minded approach to water use:

• Tiered rates--higher water use is charged at a higher marginal rate;
• Water waste ordinance--water wasters, i.e. those whose watering floods the street or their neighbors, may be subject to fines;
• Education-- voluntary landscaping guidelines offering recommendations for improving water use efficiency are provided.