LWVMP Statment Supports Hybrid Regional Plan
TO: The Honorable Angela K. Minkin
Administrative Law Judge
California Public Utilities Commission
The League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula (LWVMP) studied water issues in 1982, 1995 and 2003 and has numerous positions related to developing water supplies for the Monterey Peninsula. Our positions support a variety of water supply sources such as conservation, including saving "lost water" and reclamation. We believe that an agency responsible for planning and implementing a water supply project should be directly elected and that the agency should be local and have boundaries that generally coincide with the service area boundaries of the water purveyor and water sources, i.e., Carmel River and Seaside Aquifer.
We believe that planning and implementation for "new water supplies" should be the primary responsibility of one agency. Based on statewide League studies, we support a variety of water supply sources with emphasis on nonstructural alternatives; the use of reclaimed water for groundwater recharge, agricultural and landscape irrigation; and coordinated water resource planning with land use planning and the provision for future water needs without encouraging growth
The LWVMP has participated in the effort by the CPUC Ratepayers and Water for Monterey County to develop a regional program. We support elements of the Regional Plan described in the DEIR for the Coastal Water Project as recently updated, including the use of reclaimed water, conservation and the use of excess winter water from the Carmel River (Aquifer Storage and Recovery).
Because the League believes the focus of new water should be on nonstructural alternative water supplies, we do not support the large desalination facility proposed in the Regional Plan. Further, because of the urgent need to address the regulatory requirements related to the Carmel River and the Seaside Groundwater Basin and because transfer of water from the Salinas Groundwater Basin could result in extended litigation, we support a small desalination facility that either relies on brackish water from the Seaside Groundwater Basin or extracts water from Monterey Bay through slant wells. Further, because the water users within the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD) are largely excluded from the planning and implementation of the Regional Plan, we support designating MPWMD as a co-lead agency to develop a desalination facility.
The League has worked with several community-based organizations on the Monterey Peninsula and in North County to develop an alternative to the Regional Plan that focuses on the issues described above. Based on our knowledge of water supply options and recent data provided in the Proposed Decision of May 7, 2009 by Administrative Law Judge Bushey, the Hybrid Regional Plan option described in the attached could be developed in a timely and less costly manner than other options addressed in the CWP DEIR.
Phase I of the Hybrid would address the immediate regulatory need for 10, 300 AFY as identified in Draft EIR for the Coastal Water Project. It would rely on 1,920 AFY from ASR; 2,700 AFY of reclaimed water for landscaping and groundwater replenishment; 700 AFY from replacing leaking pipes in Seaside and electronic leak monitoring; interim use of 300 AFY from conservation and 300 AFY from the Sand City desalination plant; and 3,650 AFY of desalinated water, for a total of 10,300 AFY. Phase I of the option could also include water for immediate needs of Marina and Fort Ord through reclaimed water for landscaping and an expanded desalination facility.
Phase II of the plan would include an evaluation of the effectiveness of water supply projects identified above followed by implementation of expanded and/or new projects to address drought reserve, growth and water for North Salinas Valley.
Because of the urgent need to address water supply options for the Monterey Peninsula, we urge you to carefully consider the issues and recommendations identified by the LWV and other concerned residents of the Monterey Peninsula.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Dennis Mar
President, LWV of the Monterey Peninsula
