San Diego County’s Local Agency Formation Commission requires a deposit to process applications to LAFCO for jurisdictional changes, and the Rainbow Municipal Water District approved an additional deposit amount during the Tuesday, Feb. 28, Rainbow board meeting.
The board’s 5-0 vote approved the additional payment of $32,648.91, bringing the total Rainbow payment to $245,932.10. Rainbow and the Fallbrook Public Utility District are sharing the processing costs.
The Fallbrook Public Utility District board approved a 5% increase in the per diem pay board members receive.
The directors had been receiving $121.55 for each meeting. The board’s 5-0 vote Feb. 27 increased that amount to $127.63. Per diem payments are given for each meeting involving FPUD business, but a director may not be paid for more than 10 meetings in a month.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-03-16 10:12:512023-03-16 12:53:03FPUD Increases Board Member Per Diem
The Fallbrook Public Utility District approved a vehicle fleet replacement plan.
The 5-0 FPUD board vote Monday, Dec. 5, also authorized district staff to pursue the Power Your Drive for Fleets grant San Diego Gas & Electric offers for conversion to lower-emission vehicles. The six-year plan also addresses compliance with present and future California Air Resources Board requirements. The action adopts a vehicle replacement plan but does not stipulate specific vehicles.
The Fallbrook Public Utility District board approved an update for fees FPUD charges for new development or other new service. The 5-0 board vote Dec. 5 adopted miscellaneous engineering service and other related fees. The fees are based on the cost of materials, labor time and equipment used to perform the work. “Each fee is based on the actual typical time,” said FPUD senior engineer Aaron Cook.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2022-12-19 10:09:202022-12-22 11:03:12FPUD Updates New Development Fees
Farmers and other ratepayers in Fallbrook and Rainbow could see an average saving on their water bills of more than $20 a month by joining the Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County, according to a new report.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2022-11-07 09:53:042022-11-07 09:56:46Fallbrook, Rainbow Would Save on Water Bills by Leaving San Diego Wholesaler, Report Finds
Avocado growers in San Diego County are facing tough times as a result of the soaring cost of water coupled with ongoing drought and heatwaves.
The crop generated just $82.8 million throughout the region last year, down from $152.9 million in 2020, according to the county’s annual crop report. It was the first time the fruit generated less than $100 million a year since 1996.
The Fallbrook Public Utility District awarded Palm Engineering the contract to replace multiple FPUD waterlines during fiscal year 2022‑23.
The FPUD board voted 4-0 Sept. 2, with Ken Endter not able to participate, to award Palm Engineering a $3,574,950 contract for the work and to reject the bid protest submitted by PK Mechanical Systems, which was the second-lowest bidder.
The Fallbrook Public Utility District’s water storage tank uphill from South Mission Road has received a fresh set of painted numbers the past 40 years, but not everyone knows the story behind the annual makeover.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2022-08-11 09:56:492022-08-11 10:01:49Rattlesnake Tank Gets Class of 2023 Makeover
The Fallbrook Public Utility District’s water storage tank uphill from South Mission Road has received a fresh set of painted numbers the past 40 years, but not everyone knows the story behind the annual makeover.
FPUD crews change the painted numbers on the tank to reflect the year incoming seniors at Fallbrook High School will graduate. A two-person team made up of district employees Colter Shannon (who also did it last year) and Martin Serrano performed the August task, painting over the “22” and changing it to “23” to welcome the graduating class of 2023.
It took district staff about five hours to paint the 25-foot-tall numbers onto the 3.6 million-gallon tank. Staff compressed the job, through the magic of time-lapse video, to about eight seconds.
“Parents and Fallbrook High seniors anxiously await the painting of the tank and begin calling the office early in June to find out when we’re doing it,” said Noelle Denke, FPUD public affairs officer. “This year, it’s especially exciting for them because so many of them are back on campus and need something to look forward to.”
Prior to painting the tank about four decades ago, Fallbrook High seniors would climb up the hill in the middle of the night as a traditional dare, scale the tank and then paint it themselves.
Because their annual antics took place at a significant height and in the dark, FPUD staff became concerned for student safety. Workers first tried installing a fence to prevent access by the yearly stealth painting crew.
The fence failed to deter the enterprising students. Instead, they began jumping the fence later at night. District officials struck a deal with the students. If they stopped risking their safety for the dare, FPUD would safely paint the tank yearly to commemorate them.
“We’ve been doing it ever since,” said Denke.
A 25-foot salute to Fallbrook High’s graduating seniors
One of the last attempts by Fallbrook High School students to paint the tank themselves in 1981. Photo: Fallbrook Public Utility District
Since the tank shares the space with several cell towers, Fallbrook Public Utility District arranges with them to power down their towers. Then crews safely hoist themselves up to the tower and get to work painting.
Rattlesnake Tank was built in the early 1950s and is one of Fallbrook’s oldest and most visible water tanks.
(Editor’s note: The Fallbrook Public Utility District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Rattlesnake-Tank-23-A-845X450.jpg450845Gayle Falkenthalhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngGayle Falkenthal2022-08-11 02:00:592022-08-11 08:32:11Rattlesnake Tank Gets Class of 2023 Makeover
With much of the southwestern United States in a persistent drought that is stressing source waters such as the Colorado River and the State Water Project, the Fallbrook Public Utility District is encouraging everyone to do their part and conserve as much water as possible.
Fortunately, in Fallbrook, the situation isn’t dire like in other parts of the state. Local residents and businesses have been cutting back and conserving for years, and the district is now selling about the same amount of water as it did back in the 1950’s, even though Fallbrook’s population has grown significantly since then.
Other parts of the state aren’t as lucky.
“While there are no mandatory restrictions on watering days and times right now, the governor has hinted that if people don’t conserve more across the state, he will require additional mandatory restrictions, so it’s important that we all do what we can to avoid this,” said Jack Bebee, general manager of FPUD.
