Rainbow Approves CFD with Pardee Homes for Meadowood
A community facilities district will cover initial Rainbow Municipal Water District expenses for Pardee Homes’ Meadowood development.
Posts
Rainbow to Conduct Pilot Project Test for Cured-in-Place Lining
The Rainbow Municipal Water District will be conducting a test of cured-in-place lining for water transmission pipe.
A 4-0 Rainbow board vote Oct. 27, with Helene Brazier not able to participate in the meeting, approved the professional services agreement with Sanexen Water, Inc., for $74,800 and appropriated that amount from the water capital fund for the project’s budget.
Two Pressure Reducing Stations to be Included in Fairview Infrastructure
The Rainbow Municipal Water District infrastructure to be funded by the planned Fairview development project will include two pressure reducing stations as well as water and sewer pipelines. Rainbow’s Oct. 27 board meeting included a 4-0 vote, with Helene Brazier unable to participate, to approve an agreement between the district and D.R. Horton for the construction of the water district’s infrastructure.
Rainbow Approves Testing Contract With Palomar Backflow
The Rainbow Municipal Water District approved a contract with Palomar Backflow to test Rainbow’s backflow devices. Helene Brazier could not participate in the Oct. 27 board meeting, but the other four board members all voted to approve the professional services agreement with Palomar Backflow.
Johnson, Moss, Mack, McSorley Seek Rainbow Board Seats
Two Rainbow Municipal Water District board seats will have contested elections this year. Hayden Hamilton was unopposed for a second term in the Division 2 seat. Helene Brazier is retiring as the Division 1 director and Rainbow committee members Julie Johnson and Pam Moss are seeking that seat. Current Division 5 board member Michael Mack is being challenged by current Vallecitos School District board member Kathy McSorley. Division 1 includes Morro Hills, Bonsall, and Vista Valley while Division 5 is in Rainbow and also covers new development projects east of Interstate 15
Rainbow Approves Contract to Install Morro Reservoir Tank Mixing System
The Rainbow Municipal Water District approved a contract to install a reservoir mixing system in the Morro Reservoir.
Helene Brazier did not participate in the Sept. 22 board meeting, when the other four board members gave support to the contract with CPC Systems Inc. The contract will be for $232,998 and CPC Systems, which is based in Irwindale, will install nine Kasco mixers with an option to install three more Kasco mixers.
T.E. Roberts to replace Pipelines for RMWD
The Aug. 25 Rainbow Municipal Water District board meeting included the award of two pipeline replacement contracts to T.E. Roberts.
The company based in Orange was given a $280,399 contract for the Sagewood Road pipeline and a $301,734 contract for the Nella Lane pipeline. The two contracts were awarded on separate 4-0 votes with Helene Brazier abstaining from both.
Threat Emerges to Reduce Water Supply Reliability, Fracture Region
Thank you for your support over the past two years. It’s been an honor to serve as the chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors. While some may not realize it, this 36-member Board plays a critical role in sustaining San Diego County’s quality of life and economy.
And I’m pleased to say that this Board engages in the difficult discussions and decisions to make sure our children and grandchildren enjoy the same safe and secure water supplies that we enjoy today. Unfortunately, it’s also true that efforts are underway that would undermine decades of successful planning that has served our county well from Fallbrook to San Ysidro.
This week, the Water Authority filed a formal response to address a proposal by the Fallbrook and Rainbow water districts to detach from the Water Authority and annex into Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County. These proposals would increase costs for water ratepayers in San Diego County, reduce the county’s voting power, and decrease water supply reliability for farms and residents.
Our detailed filing with the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) spells out how the Fallbrook and Rainbow detachment proposals contain significant areas of misleading or incomplete information that must be addressed before LAFCO and all of the interested parties countywide can understand the full scope of impacts that would be created by detachment. The LAFCO process is expected to take at least another year.
As proposed by Fallbrook and Rainbow, the detachments would allow Fallbrook and Rainbow to avoid paying for water supplies and infrastructure that have been developed in collaboration with those agencies and are currently being used by those agencies to meet their customers’ needs. Abandoning those cost obligations would force other ratepayers countywide to cover their portion of the bills already incurred for decades of investments in supply reliability.
Our agency’s analysis shows that detachment, as proposed, would reduce water reliability and increase risk for Rainbow and Fallbrook customers, create environmental impacts that haven’t been studied, and impair the successful long-term planning efforts that have served our county well. And it would give Riverside County water agencies more control over San Diego County’s water future, including water rate and property tax impacts. The Water Authority’s formal response to the Fallbrook/Rainbow reorganization proposals and related documents are at www.sdcwa.org/lafco-reorganization.
It’s critical that LAFCO and all the interested parties across San Diego County take the time to address the full scope of consequences created by these unprecedented proposals so we avoid unintended harm to our region. The Water Authority, its member agencies and regional planning agencies such as SANDAG have worked together for more than 75 years to provide this region with safe and reliable water supplies. Trying to turn back the clock now is a costly, difficult process with numerous impacts to Fallbrook and Rainbow customers and across the region.
As we transition to the new Board leadership in October, I trust that you will give incoming Chair Gary Croucher and Vice Chair Christy Guerin the same support that you’ve given to me over the past two years. And don’t forget that whatever the challenges, San Diego County is stronger together.
View From The Chair represents the viewpoints of Jim Madaffer, Chair of the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors.
Water Agencies Plan to Abandon Costs, Reduce Supply Reliability
Analysis released today shows that proposals by the Fallbrook and Rainbow water districts to leave the San Diego County Water Authority and annex into the Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County would increase costs for water ratepayers in San Diego County, reduce the county’s voting power, and decrease water supply reliability for farms and residents.
Numerous financial, environmental and legal issues that affect property owners and water users across San Diego County are analyzed in the Water Authority’s formal response to the reorganization proposals filed today with the San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission, known as LAFCO.
Suez to Improve Rainbow Tank Staircases
Suez Water Technologies and Solutions will install additional tank fall protection improvements at Rainbow Municipal Water District reservoirs.
Rainbow’s board voted 4-1, with Helene Brazier casting the dissenting vote, Aug. 25, to approve a change order to the 2018 contract.
“This adds some additional safety enhancements for our steel reservoirs,” Tom Kennedy, general manager of Rainbow, said.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
