Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPipeline 03 - Summer 2021T H E O TA Y W A TER DISTRICT • P R OUDL Y SERVING E A ST C OUNT Y A ND TH E S OUTH B AY SINC E 1956 A NE W SLE T TER FOR CUSTOM E RS OF THE OTAY W ATER DISTRICT SUMMER 2021 Dedicated to Community Service FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT CALL (619) 670-2222 OR GO TO OTAYWATER.GOV The Pipeline Newsletter is published quartely by the Otay Water District and can also be found online at otaywater.gov. Copywright ©2021 Otay Water District. All rights reserved. Maximizing Cost Efficiencies to Minimize Your Water Rates Keeping reliable water and wastewater services up and running 24/7 is vital to our community. Part of providing Otay Water District’s high-quality services includes evaluating its rates for service annually and making every effort to streamline and enhance operations. The District is a retail water agency that purchases water from wholesale suppliers. The wholesalers’ rates to retailers may increase as their costs rise due to new supply development projects for the San Diego region. As a not-for-profit public agency, the District must pass on these higher costs — for water, energy, and supplies it pays the wholesalers — to its customers in the form of higher rates. However, to minimize future increases while at the same time providing the best value of water service, the District consistently reviews its day-to-day operational needs. It invests in system maintenance and repairs and upgrades the hundreds of miles of pipes and related structures that carry water to its service area. Drawing down on reserves, reprioritizing capital improvement costs, and reducing staff also helps cut costs. One well-proven cost-effective way the District reduces expenses and increases productivity includes the upgrade or replacement of residential automated meter readers. AMR can record readings from up to 2,800 meters each day as opposed to District staff walking 15 miles and reading about 700 meters each day. By replacing meter registers instead of the entire meter and taking advantage of existing warranties, the District has saved its ratepayers approximately $3.3 million in meter replacement costs. Another cost-effective technology includes Otay’s annual leak detection and repair program. Using state-of-the-art equipment, the District inspects its water distribution system for even the smallest leak. As a result, the District has reduced water loss by 40% since 2011. The number of vehicles it maintains has also reduced, incorporating more fuel-efficient and cleaner operating vehicles. As a result, fuel consumption has decreased by 23% since 2006. The District also evaluates its staffing positions based on the work needed to fulfill critical needs of the District. Since 2007, Otay has reduced its headcount by 19.9% — from 174.75 to 140 — resulting in a net cumulative savings of $60,781,400. These reductions were the result of investments in technology and automation, analyzing workload requirements and restructuring responsibilities, and developing more cross-training opportunities. Based on an annual county-wide survey of water and sewer provider rates, the District has the fifth lowest water rate (when a customer is using 11 units), compared to 22 agencies in the county and the fifth lowest sewer rate when compared to 28 agencies in the county. Otay strives to provide exceptional water and sewer service to its customers and to manage District resources in a transparent and fiscally responsible manner. A customer’s water bill includes monthly service fees for the cost of service. This includes the cost of water, infrastructure, programs, and the people needed to deliver water to their home or business. To learn more about water and sewer rates, visit otaywater.gov/water-and-sewer-rates, and to learn more about how the District is working to keep your rates low, visit otaywater.gov/working-to-keep-rates-low. El Cajon Homeowner Wins WaterSmart Landscape Contest El Cajon homeowner Christine Laframboise has taken the title of “Best in District” in the Otay Water District’s 2021 WaterSmart Landscape Contest. Although it has been more than six years since its installation, her garden remains beautiful and low water use. Every year, the District joins other water agencies in San Diego County to host the contest and reward one resident from their respective service area for showcasing the best water-saving landscape. This year, the District selected Laframboise for demonstrating a well-thought-out design, plant selection and maintenance, and methods for efficient irrigation. “We are proud to have customers like Christine who are committed to outdoor water-use efficiency and can demonstrate the many attractive features that homeowners can incorporate into their WaterSmart landscapes, especially at a time when California is facing drought conditions,” said Otay Board President Tim Smith. “We encourage customers to take advantage of our free resources and rebates to help with their landscaping needs.” Like many homeowners before upgrading, Laframboise had been struggling to keep up with the maintenance. Grass covered every corner of her 1,895-square-foot front yard, which required too much water. Finally, in 2014, Laframboise decided to make a change. She signed up for landscaping classes presented by the San Diego County Water Authority’s WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program. In addition, she received a rebate of $2,140 through the Water Authority’s WaterSmart Turf Replacement Program to help with her project. With the help of her husband and son, Laframboise took out her grass and installed water- wise features such as mulch, stone, and low-water-use plants — succulents, blue ice plants, fire sticks, and various others. Her landscape now includes a drip irrigation system and a few rotating nozzles. Using a smart irrigation controller, her schedule is set to water efficiently. Compared to the years before upgrading her landscape, Laframboise has decreased her overall water use by an average of 42%. In addition to needing to water only two or three times a week, Laframboise says she mostly enjoys that her new yard attracts pollinators, she can maintain it on her own, and she no longer needs a lawnmower. “My yard evolves as I learn about different plants and my location. I recently replaced dyed wood chips for shredded redwood bark. It is safer for pets, children, and wildlife,” said Laframboise. “I also plan to add more natives in the future, which attract more wildlife and require less water.” For more information about the annual WaterSmart Landscape Contest, visit landscapecontest.com. Are we in Drought? California is not a stranger to drought! As the state and the Southwest face increasingly unpredictable climate patterns and other areas are facing significant water cutbacks, thanks to decades of planning, the San Diego region has sufficient supplies for dry years like this one, with San Diego County only receiving 30% of normal precipitation in 2021. For more than three decades, the San Diego region’s water ratepayers have invested in a diversified portfolio approach to secure a reliable supply. This strategy includes increasing locally controlled water supplies like seawater desalination, expanding water storage capacity, and enhancing water-use efficiency. Otay has worked with the San Diego County Water Authority and neighboring agencies to prepare for water shortages, including droughts. Thanks to the investments and to the conservation efforts by the District’s customers, the District and the rest of the County have sufficient water supplies to meet demand, even through multiple dry years. Although 50 of 58 counties in California are under a drought state of emergency, San Diego County is not one of them. On behalf of its customers, the District continues to work with San Diego region water agencies to discourage Sacramento from imposing one-size-fits-all mandates for combating drought like it did in previous droughts. The District’s 2020 Urban Water Management Plan supports its long-term planning efforts to ensure it has enough supplies to meet existing and future water needs of its more than 226,000 customers. Although we are not under any mandatory restrictions for the drought, customers are encouraged to use water wisely and help the state voluntarily cut water use by 15% through simple actions like reducing landscape irrigation, only running dishwashers and washing machines when full, finding and fixing leaks, installing water-efficient showerheads and taking shorter showers. Water-Saving Rebates Available!otaywater.gov/rebates Late Bill Penalties Reinstated July 1 Effective July 1, 2021, the District reinstated penalties for late or unpaid water and sewer bills from June 2021 moving forward. The District may waive fees for customers who establish or are on a long-term payment arrangement. Contact customer service to make payment arrangements at (619) 670- 2222 or paymentsupport@ otaywater.gov. For payment options, visit otaywater.gov/ payment-options. Water Quality Report Now Available! To meet state and federal drinking water standards, the District produces a Consumer Confidence Report with details about its drinking water quality. In calendar year 2020, the District met or exceeded those standards. To view the report in English or Spanish, visit otaywater.gov/ ConsumerConfidenceReport. To request a printed copy, email info@otaywater.gov, call (619) 670-2222, or visit the District’s office at 2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd., Spring Valley, CA 91978. Nan Sterman is a garden expert, author, designer, and educator. Nan leads international garden tours, is the author of several books, and hosts the show A Growing Passion on KPBS TV, www.waterwisegardener.com Do any of these sound familiar?• Your garden needs a facelift but redoing it yourself is harder than you expected. • You bought a home but its landscape is worn out, outdated, or just plain ugly. • You’ve bought plant after plant, but your garden just doesn’t look the way you imagine. • Your water bill has skyrocketed. Now, every time you see the sprinklers watering the grass, you think, “Do I need a lawn?” • You discovered vegetable gardening and want raised beds and fruit trees to grow your fruits and vegetables. If so, it’s time to call a landscape designer. Professional landscape designers are the wizards of garden design. These wizards transform blah, tired, outdated, obliterated, or thirsty gardens into welcoming, productive, water-wise spaces to bring you joy. Working with a landscape designer is like working with any professional. The more you understand what they do, how to work with them, and what YOU want, the more successful your project will be. Landscape designers focus on you, the homeowner. Most start with an in-person, on-site client consultation where they ask about your dream garden. They’ll tour your property to analyze the site while they identify opportunities and challenges. Before that meeting, do your homework. Take photos of gardens and plants you like, and even those you don’t like. Browse the internet too. Talk with your partner or other decision-makers. Develop a realistic target budget. Like remodeling, much more goes into landscaping than you might expect. In addition to design costs, there are installation costs such as labor, demolition, hardscape, plants, soil, mulch, lighting, irrigation, and sometimes permits. Share your project budget with your landscape designer so he or she can adjust the scale of the project; though it is up to the landscape contractor to develop detailed installation costs. If you live in an HOA, know the design review process, the documentation they require, who it gets submitted to, when to submit it, and how long reviews take. Tell your designer about any unusual property setbacks, height requirements, issues with neighbors, and so on. If the landscape is part of a larger remodel, involve the landscape designer in the architectural design. Collaboration between the architect and landscape designer helps ensure that the outdoors integrates with the indoors. Don’t make the mistake of installing your garden’s hardscape (decks, paths, patios, etc.) before you have a planting plan. The two must be designed as a whole. Doing them separately is a big mistake. Expect to sign a contract that describes the project, the landscape designer’s work scope, milestones, expectations, and payment schedule. Most designers ask for a deposit as well. Once your designer begins your project, remember that careful and thoughtful design takes time. More than a week, sometimes several months. Expect some back and forth. Allow space for your designer’s creative process. That’s why you hired them. Once the design is complete, it’s time to get on the landscape contractor’s schedule. Work only with licensed and insured landscape contractors. You may have a gardener you’ve worked with for a long time whom you trust, but their skill level won’t come near that of a licensed landscape contractor. And should things go wrong (!) you’ll have no recourse unless you work with a licensed landscape contractor. Don’t wait until the last minute to start your project. The best designers book many months ahead. In fact, the demand for landscape designers skyrocketed during the pandemic. Landscape contractors book out far ahead of time as well. Finally, expect your landscape designer to stay involved through installation. They’ll answer the contractor’s questions and participate in on-site decision-making. Some landscape designers purchase and place the plants for their designs as well. Keeping the designer involved is the best way to be sure you get the design you paid for. Once the garden is complete, stand back and appreciate all the hard work and all the hard workers – including you – who made that garden come to life. Enjoy! For the full version of this story, visit otaywater.gov/conservation/waterwise-gardener. Nan StermanWaterwise Gardener Working with the Wizards of Landscape Design Register for classes or events at thegarden.org or call (619) 660-0614x10. FOLLOW OTAY WATER ON... / SIGA AL DISTRITO DE AGUA DE OTAY EN... OTAY WATER DISTRICT – Board of Directors The Board of Directors meets the first Wednesday of the month at 3:30 p.m. and is currently meeting virtually to help ensure public safety during the pandemic. The public is encouraged to listen to or watch the live stream of the meeting by visiting otaywater.gov. PresidentTim Smith, Division 1tsmith@otaywater.gov Vice PresidentMark Robak, Division 5mrobak@otaywater.gov TreasurerJose Lopez, Division 4jlopez@otaywater.gov Board MemberRyan Keyes, Division 2rkeyes@otaywater.gov Board MemberGary Croucher, Division 3gcroucher@otaywater.gov FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT CALL (619) 670-2222 OR GO TO OTAYWATER.GOV The Pipeline Newsletter is published quartely by the Otay Water District and can also be found online at otaywater.gov. Copywright ©2021 Otay Water District. All rights reserved. Maximizando la rentabilidad para reducir sus tarifas de agua Mantener los servicios de agua y aguas residuales en funcionamiento las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana es vital para nuestra comunidad. Una parte de los servicios de alta calidad que presta el Distrito de Agua de Otay incluye la evaluación anual de las tarifas de servicio y la optimización y mejoramiento de las operaciones. El Distrito es una agencia de agua minorista que compra agua a proveedores mayoristas. Las tarifas de los mayoristas del Distrito a los minoristas pueden aumentar a medida que aumentan sus costos debido a nuevos proyectos de desarrollo de suministros en la región de San Diego. Dado que el Distrito es una agencia pública sin fines de lucro debe pasar estos costos altos (por el agua, la energía y los suministros que paga a los mayoristas) a sus clientes a través de tarifas más elevadas. No obstante, para minimizar futuros aumentos y brindar el mejor valor del servicio de agua, el Distrito revisa constantemente sus necesidades operativas. El Distrito invierte en el mantenimiento y reparación de sistemas y mejora los cientos de millas de tuberías y estructuras relacionadas que llevan agua a su área de servicio. El uso de las reservas, la jerarquización de costos de mejora de capital y la reducción del personal también ayudan a disminuir los costos. Una forma económica y eficaz en la que el Distrito reduce los gastos y aumenta la productividad incluye la actualización o reemplazo de lectores de medidores automáticos residenciales (AMR, por sus siglas en inglés). Los AMR pueden registrar lecturas de hasta 2,800 metros cada día en lugar de que el personal del Distrito camine 15 millas y lea alrededor de 700 medidores cada día. Al reemplazar los registros de los medidores en lugar del medidor completo y aprovechar las garantías existentes, el Distrito ha ahorrado a sus contribuyentes $ 3.3 millones aproximadamente en costos de reemplazo de medidores. Otra tecnología económica incluye el programa anual de detección y reparación de fugas de Otay. El Distrito inspecciona su sistema de distribución de agua para detectar hasta la fuga más pequeña utilizando equipo de vanguardia. Por consiguiente, el Distrito ha reducido la pérdida de agua hasta en un 40% desde 2011. El número de vehículos que mantiene también se ha reducido, incorporando vehículos de funcionamiento más limpios y de bajo consumo de combustible. Como resultado, el consumo de combustible ha disminuido en un 23% desde 2006. El Distrito también evalúa sus puestos en función del trabajo que se requiere para satisfacer las necesidades críticas del Distrito. Desde 2007, Otay ha reducido su personal en un 19.9% de 174.75 a 140, lo que resulta en un ahorro acumulado neto de $ 60,781,400. Estas reducciones fueron el resultado de inversiones en tecnología y automatización, el análisis de los de la carga de trabajo y la reestructuración de responsabilidades, así como el desarrollo de más oportunidades de capacitación cruzada. Según una encuesta anual en todo el condado de San Diego sobre las tarifas de los proveedores de agua y alcantarillado, el Distrito obtuvo el quinto lugar más bajo en cuanto a tarifas de agua (cuando un cliente usa 11 unidades) en comparación con las otras 22 agencias existentes. Además, obtuvo el quinto lugar más bajo en cuanto a tarifas de alcantarillado en comparación con las 28 agencias en el condado. Otay se esfuerza por brindar un servicio excepcional de agua y alcantarillado a sus clientes y por administrar los recursos de manera transparente y fiscalmente responsable. La factura de agua de un cliente incluye tarifas de servicio mensuales por el costo del servicio. Esto comprende el costo del agua, infraestructura, programas y personas necesarias para llevar agua a su hogar o negocio. Para obtener más información sobre las tarifas de agua y alcantarillado, visite otaywater.gov/water- and-sewer-rates, y para aprender más sobre cómo el Distrito está trabajando para mantener sus tarifas bajas, por favor visite otaywater.gov/working-to-keep-rates-low.