City leaders to look at keeping conservation measures
The drought appeared to be over weeks ago, but now official restrictions have been lifted in Avalon.
Adeline M. L. Yoong, government relations manager, Southern California Edison local public affairs, delivered the news to the City Council at the council’s March 19 meeting.
“I have great news,” she said. “Catalina is officially out of Stage 1 water conservation.”
“Starting March 7, 2017, Catalina Island is in Stage 1 water rationing,” according to the city of Avalon webstie.
“From February 7, 2017, to March 6, 2017, Stage 3 Water Rationing Updated: Avalon and Middle Ranch 25% rationing, rest of the island 50%,” said the city website.
“From September 6, 2016, to February 6, 2017, Catalina Island was in Stage 3 Water Rationing,” said the city website.
Yoong told the council that Edison sent an advice letter to the California Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 15. The letter went into effect on that day, but the letter was subject to a 30-day review.
In response to a resident’s question about water allocation, Yoong explained that the water allocations for Avalon were spelled out in Edison’s “tariffs.” (The Public Utilities Commission website describes a tariff as a price schedule or rate plan.) Yoong said an application to request a water allocation is added to the waiting list.
Yoong said there are currently 19 projects on the waiting list. She said Edison had not approved any of them.
She said Edison would be assessing the capacity of Avalon’s water resources to determine the amount of water available to allocate consistently.
Desalination
In response to questions about desalination, Yoong said Edison was hoping to secure construction permits for desalination improvements by June 24.
She said she was talking about more sea water wells and improvements to the island’s desalination plant. She described the project as intended “basically to improve the capacity of the plant.”
Mayor Anni Marshall expressed concern that if the sustainability issues were not dealt with and Edison approved local projects, the city could have a problem if there is another drought.
“You raise a good point,” Yoong said.
“That’s why we are accessing the capacity of the system. we want to make sure that we can actually sustain it.”
Later in the meeting, Yoong said desalinated water is more expensive than fresh and that it would be better to use fresh.
According to Marshall, her water bill didn’t distinguish between fresh and desalinated water. City Attorney Scott Campbell said the agreement between Avalon and Edison requires the power company to do its best to keep the water reservoir at a sustainable level.
Water conservation
still a concernt
A woman in the audience asked if the city could continue having conservation measures in place.
According to City Attorney Campbell, the city can make a determination independently of Edison regarding development.
He said he could review the city’s ordinance to “decouple” it from Edison’s rules.
Campbell said that then-Gov. Jerry Brown had imposed several long-standing conservation measures and Campbell was not certain if they had been lifted or not.
Marshall, however, pointed out that “right now, somebody could get their hose and not put their nozzles on; they don’t need to use a gallon bucket and that kind of thing.”
According to Campbell, as part of the city’s police powers, Avalon could look at the regulations the council could put in place.
Jim Luttjohann, president and CEO of the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Bureau, said the Chamber was launching a variety of initiatives on the Chamber’s website on how visitors could be good stewards of the Island.
“Water conservation will remain one of our top subjects,” Luttjohann said.
Prop. 1 Funds
Edison is waiting for the results of an application to the state for Prop. 1 funds.
In a recent phone interview, Mayor Marshall described Prop. 1 funds as money that would pay for a pipeline to take water from the desalination plant to the Wrigley Reservoir.
Yoong told the council that the initial review period for Edison’s grant application was expected to be complete by March 29. Edison expects a decision to be announced in April. Yoong said no decision had been made on the amount of the grant.
The day after the council meeting, the Islander asked Marshall if they were overjoyed by the news that Stage 1 conservation was over.
“For the moment, of course,” Marshall said.
However, she said the sustainability issue has to be overcome at some point.
She said the council is going to look at putting something on the books.
