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PWD OK’s Entry Into Water Transfer Program

The Palmdale Water District Board of Directors approved the District’s entry into a program to transfer water for State Water Contractors during dry years, such as this one.

The program allows State Water Contractors, such as Palmdale Water District, to purchase water allocated to fallow rice farms in Northern California.

District officials estimate it possibly will need to purchase an additional 1,000 acre-feet of water to meet its supply needs this year, according to the staff report.

PWD to Offer Water Use, Conservation Courses to Customers

The Palmdale Water District Board of Directors gave the go-ahead to staff to develop a water education class, which customers could attend in lieu of paying fines for overuse, should mandatory water restrictions be put in place.

Suggested by Director Amberrose Merino, the class is modeled after one used successfully in Santa Cruz in 2014, which offered customers a one-time waiver of fees for overuse if they attended a course about water use and conservation.

“They actually had a really successful program,” Resource and Analytics Supervisor Claudia Bolanos said.