Bolinas Community Public Utility District

Resolution No. 576

Amending Resolution 575, Rescinding its Provisions Imposing Mandatory Conservation Measures and Directing BCPUD Staff to Develop a Water Conservation and Dry Year Water Use Reduction Program.

---

    THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE BOLINAS COMMUNITY PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT (“BCPUD”) HEREBY FINDS AND DECLARES AS FOLLOWS:

WHEREAS, the BCPUD is a public utility district empowered to provide water service within its boundaries; and

    WHEREAS, the BCPUD declared a water shortage emergency in 1971 and has reaffirmed that water emergency declaration on numerous subsequent occasions; and

    WHEREAS, the BCPUD’s adoption of a water shortage emergency and regulations addressing that situation, including a moratorium on new water service connections, have been upheld against legal challenges; and

    WHEREAS, the BCPUD regularly requests its customers to take steps to reduce consumption, particularly during the summer and fall months when water supplies typically dimish; and

    WHEREAS, on June 4, 2008, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger formally declared a condition of statewide drought, encouraging local water agencies to promote water conservation; and

    WHEREAS, the prolonged drought condition currently affecting California has continued throughout 2008 and into 2009; and

    WHEREAS, the runoff available to the BCPUD from precipitation in the local watershed has steadily decreased during the drought and reached historic lows in January 2009; and

WHEREAS, on January 28, 2009, the BCPUD enacted Resolution 575 and imposed mandatory conservation measures within the district, prohibiting the use of more than 20 cubic feet of water per day per service connection (which is equivalent to approximately 150 gallons of water per day per service connection); and

    WHEREAS, as of the date of this resolution, the community’s available raw water supply has increased substantially due to the rainfall received in the district during February and early March 2009 and mandatory conservations measures therefore are not currently necessary; and

WHEREAS, based on current and historic consumption levels and likely water supply availability in light of the on-going statewide drought, BCPUD staff projects that it likely will be necessary to re-invoke mandatory conservation measures in the future.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the BCPUD adopts this resolution as follows:

1.    Section 3 of Resolution 575 which establishes specific water use prohibitions within the BCPUD service area is hereby rescinded.  District customers are strongly encouraged to continue all voluntary conservation measures set forth in Resolution 575.

2.    BCPUD staff is directed to develop a water conservation and dry year water use reduction progam for the Board’s discussion and enactment at its regularly scheduled meeting in April 2009.  This program should include provisions defining foreseeable circumstances in which the district will re-establish mandatory use restrictions (i.e., rationing) and staff is specifically directed to consider the inclusion of circumstances in which the district is unable to produce sufficient water to meet demand for seven (7) or more consecutive days.

PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors on
this 18th day of  March, 2009.





AYES:    Amoroso, Kimball, Siedman, Smith

NOES:  None

ABSTAIN: None

ABSENT:   McClellan                                       

      
  __                      Jack Siedman___               ___
                         President, Board of Directors
Attest:

_______Jennifer Blackman___
    Secretary