Water Currents - May 2021

May 2021

IN THIS ISSUE

SCV Water Awarded Grant for Back-up Generator
Input needed on Hazard Mitigation Plan
GSA seeks Advisory Committee Members
SCV Water Considers Potential Rate Changes
SCV Water is here to HELP – Get a Rebate up to $750
Social Media Spotlight
Resources & Useful Links

SCV Water Awarded Quarter of a Million Dollar Cal OES Grant

Award will fund new generator for critical facility.

SCV Water has received a nearly $250,000 California Special Districts Association Public Safety Power Shutoff program allocation from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). The allocation will be used to help fund the installation of a permanent generator at the Earl Schmidt Filtration Plant (ESFP). The addition of this second generator brings the facility up to 100 percent operational capacity in the event of a power outage.

“We are thankful to receive this grant from Cal OES,” said SCV Water’s General Manager Matt Stone. “These funds will purchase a new, permanent generator to keep the Earl Schmidt Filtration Plant running at full capacity, which is crucial in times of emergency.”

Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Underway

We need your help!

SCV Water is in a planning process to become better prepared for natural disasters, and your participation is important to us!

We invite you to assist in the development of a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). This plan will identify the potential natural hazards affecting our service area. When complete, it will provide a comprehensive approach on how to manage these hazards and mitigate their impacts on the agency and its customers.

Tell us what you think!

We encourage you to share your opinions and participate in the mitigation planning process through a brief survey. The information you provide will help us better understand your hazard concerns and identify mitigation activities that should help reduce the impact of future hazard events.

Please help us by completing this survey by May 22, 2021.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SCVWater-LHMP

To learn more, visit https://yourscvwater.com/lhmp/.

SCV Groundwater Sustainability Agency

Seeks Advisory Committee Members

The Santa Clarita Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SCV-GSA) is seeking qualified candidates for three openings on its Stakeholder Advisory Committee.

The Committee provides the SCV-GSA with insight and expertise on various social, cultural and economic issues impacting groundwater management in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The Committee advises the SCV-GSA board on decisions and policy such as sustainable management criteria and implementation.

SCV Water Considers Operations Costs and Revenue in Proposing New Rates

As part of its commitment to transparency and public outreach, SCV Water recently sent information to customers about potential rate changes over the next five years and the reasons behind them.

The SCV Water Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on June 15 at 6:30 p.m. Customers are encouraged to attend and ask questions about the proposed rates. The water agency has made an Independent Ratepayer Advocate available to review the rates and address customer concerns.

The suggested rates are based on an analysis of the agency’s cost of operations and the revenue necessary for maintaining current service levels. Two main factors are driving the proposed rates: the need to build PFAS treatment facilities and the effort to transition SCV Water’s three retail divisions into a single rate plan for all customers.

SCV Water has already constructed one of the first PFAS treatment facilities in California and three more systems will be up and running in the next 24 months. PFAS are a group of man made chemicals that are prevalent in the environment and were commonly used in industrial and consumer products such as cookware and carpet to repel grease, moisture, oil, water and stains.

New technology has allowed PFAS to be detected at minute levels and State water regulators have also set new notification and action levels for the substances. As a result, SCV Water has had to close some wells and pursue treatment options to maintain supply reliability – an issue faced by numerous water providers across California.

The second element of the proposed rate changes is a re-evaluation of rates for the agency’s retail divisions – Santa Clarita, Newhall and Valencia, which all have their own rate tables. The division rates were established before SCV Water began operating as a new agency in January 2018 and do not reflect the current cost of providing service.

Under the recommended rates, there will be a single rate table for all SCV Water customers that includes the Fixed Charge based on meter size and the Water Use Charge tied to consumption. The only division-specific difference remaining would be the debt that each division brought with it when SCV Water was created. That legacy debt will be broken out separately and paid only by customers in that division.

Customers who want more information, the reasoning behind the proposed rates, and information on community meetings and the public hearing, can find it online at yourSCVwater.com/rateplanning.

SCV Water is Here to HELP

Rebates up to $750*

SCV Water is offering its HELP Rebate (Healthy & Efficient Landscape Programs) to residents, businesses, large landscapes and homeowners' associations.

Rebates available up to $750* per account

(*excluding taxes, labor, and non-qualifying devices)

Decide which option works best for you ... or use a combination of both!

Option #1: Convert spray to drip irrigation. Get $0.50/sq ft to convert spray irrigation to drip. Drip irrigation works best for shrubs, flowers, and other non-turf applications.

Option #2: Install high-efficiency nozzles and pressure regulators. Get the following rebates: 100% for HE nozzles, 75% for master pressure regulation, and $10 per pressure regulating body, when you replace your old spray sprinklers with high efficiency equipment to make your irrigation system lean, mean and green!

For more information, click here.