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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-04-25 - Public Information-Technology Committee Meeting Agenda PacketDiv YORBA LINDA WATER DISTRICT PUBLIC INFORMATION - TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE MEETING Friday, April 25, 2008, 8:30 a.m. 1717 E. Miraloma Avenue, Placentia, CA 92870 - Tel: (714) 701-3020 AGENDA COMMITTEE: STAFF: Director Ric Collett, Chair Michael A. Payne, General Manager Director Michael J. Beverage Cindy Mejia, Assistant Administrator Alternate: Paul R. Armstrong INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS AND PUBLIC COMMENTS: Any individual wishing to address the committee is requested to identify themselves and state the matter on which they wish to comment. If the matter is on this agenda, the committee Chair will recognize the individual for their comment when the item is considered. No action will be taken on matters not listed on this agenda. Comments are limited to matters of public interest and matters within the jurisdiction of the Water District. Comments are limited to five minutes. ACTION ITEMS: This portion of the agenda is for items where staff presentations and committee discussions are needed prior to formal committee actions. None. DISCUSSION ITEMS: This portion of the agenda is for matters such as technical presentations, drafts of proposed policies, or similar items for which staff is seeking the advice and counsel of the Committee Members. This portion of the agenda may also include items for information only. 2. District branding 3. District Video ADJOURNMENT: The next meeting of the Public Information Committee is scheduled for May 6, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. Accommodations for the Disabled: Any individual may make a request for a disability-related modification or accommodation needed for that person to be able to participate in the public meeting by telephoning Michael A. Payne, District Secretary, at (714) 701-3020 or writing to Yorba Linda Water District, P.O. Box 309, Yorba Linda, CA 92885-0309. Requests must specify the nature of the disability and the type of accommodation requested. A telephone number or other contact information should be included so the District staff may discuss appropriate arrangements. Individuals requesting a disability- related accommodation should make the request with adequate time before the meeting for the District to provide the requested accommodation. Yorba Linda Water District Informational Video Script Revised March 13, 2008 SEGMENT ONE - (Introduction - The Importance of Water!) Water is truly one of our greatest natural resources. Without water, our planet would be a vast barren wasteland, similar to the surface of Mars. With water, life is possible. Although over seventy percent of the surface of our planet is covered with water, less than one percent is accessible fresh water. People need clean fresh water for drinking, cooking, washing, agriculture, and sanitation purposes. In the past, people built their settlements close to fresh water sources - rivers, lakes and other natural waterways. Today, with the advent of modern civil engineering, water is accessible to major cities in naturally dry areas. Cities in southern California are examples of how modern science and technology is capable of making civilization viable where it could not have existed in the past. Most of southern California has a semi-desert, Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Orange County receives an average of only 14 inches of rainfall per year. Segment Two (The Yorba Linda Water District!) Yorba Linda Water District provides water and sewer services to most of Yorba Linda and to portions of Placentia, Anaheim, Brea and unincorporated Orange County. We are an independent special district that serves nearly seventy thousand people, and more than twenty three thousand residential, commercial and landscaping service accounts. Your water district is governed by a five member Board of Directors. The Directors are elected by the voters to four year terms of office. These Directors live in the community, use the District's services, and pay the same water and sewer rates that you do. The district's professional staff has expertise in such varied areas as water and sewer system operation, civil engineering, business and finance services, general administration, and other functions of the water supply industry. These are all necessary skills that allow your district to perform its mission of providing high quality water every time you turn on your tap. The Yorba Linda Water Company, predecessor of the present district, was formed in 1909. That was the year Theodore Roosevelt left the United States Presidency, the Panama Canal was still in the planning state, and the incorporation of the City of Yorba Linda was still fifty eight years in the future. This mutually-held water company was formed to bring water to the residents of a predominantly agricultural community. Today, the Yorba Linda Water District responds to the needs of an ever- increasing residential population. To supply our community with the water it needs, we utilize a combination of local well water and imported water sources. Segment Three (Yorba Linda's Water.!) Around half of your water comes from a large, underground natural water bearing formation called an aquifer located beneath northern Orange County. The aquifer was created by favorable geological formations, and by water contributed over the centuries by the largest river in southern California, the Santa Ana River. Most water producing agencies in Orange County voluntarily limit themselves to taking a maximum of seventy five percent of their total water requirement from the aquifer. Yorba Linda Water District voluntarily limits well water productions to avoid depleting the basin, which would ultimately destroy this irreplaceable resource. Our well water is naturally pure and of high quality. Sodium hypochloride solution, now used instead of chlorine gas as a disinfectant, helps to insure water delivered to your home is always of drinking water quality. The District produces around 3.8 billion gallons of water annually from our nine water wells. The Richfield Road Maintenance and Operations Facility serves as our field headquarters and primary well water production facility. It's also the location of the District's computerized water distribution control system. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is the regional importer of water. "M-W-D" brings Colorado River and northern California water into the area, where it is treated at the Robert Diemer Filtration Plant located just north of Yorba Linda. Here the water is filtered; treated with chloramines, a combination of chlorine and ammonia; and tested to ensure that it meets all water quality standards. Water from the Diemer Plant is delivered to the Yorba Linda Water District, accounting for 40-50% of the water stored in our 13 reservoirs. Most of these reservoirs are underground, steel-reinforced concrete tanks located on hilltops. Collectively these reservoirs hold approximately 49 million gallons of water in storage for use by our customers. The reservoirs are located on hilltops so that we can use natural gravity to flow the water to our customers, a method which is both economical and reliable. The District's water reservoirs are built to the highest engineering standards. They are continually inspected and maintained and are well protected from damage from earthquakes or other natural disasters. These reservoirs provide water storage for daily water use, firefighting and emergencies, such as loss of well or imported water. Segment Four (Water Conservation!)) Water is a finite resource. Because of increasing population and limited water supplies, southern Californians must always be prepared for drought. Adopting a "water wise" lifestyle is essential. Encouraging our customers to become conservation aware is an important aspect of the District's mission. In our essentially residential community, about half of all water use occurs indoors, and half outdoors, mostly for lawn and garden irrigation. Yorba Linda Water District strongly encourages the use of drought tolerant landscape in order to decrease the amount of water used for non-drinking and non-sanitary purposes. Drought tolerant landscape - also known as "xeriscape" - applies common sense landscape practices that are appropriate to the dry environment that we live in. These practices include designing a beautiful yard that uses less water overall, including incorporating drought-tolerant colorful plants, using efficient irrigation equipment, and utilizing landscape maintenance practices that are compatible with our dry climate. Common sense also applies to indoor water use. Wash full loads only in clothes washers and dishwashers, utilizing high-efficiency front-load units. Install modern "low flow" shower heads that emit only three gallons of water per minute, while providing a satisfying shower. Install "ultra-low-flow" toilets that use only one point six gallons of water per flush. Using a water conserving model will help you significantly lower your water bill. The toilet is the largest indoor water user, and the largest contributor to the waste water collection system. The District maintains a reliable and efficient sanitary sewer system. The entire system is continually inspected and cleaned - and potential sewer trouble is mitigated before it becomes a problem for our customers. Segment Five (Water Quality!) For many southern Californians, water guality is becoming more of a concern that water guantity. Many people in the southland purchase bottled water or use a home water filtration device. The majority of those that purchase bottled water or a filtration device do so to improve the taste of their water. Over the last several decades, a tremendous amount of research has been done on water quality concerns. All water provided by the Yorba Linda Water District must meet increasingly stringent state and federal water quality standards. We contract with an independent state certified water testing laboratory that obtains more than 140 water samples each month. Your tap water must meet tougher standards than does bottled water that can cost more than 800 times as much per gallon. All water consumption in our community is measured by a water meter. The District's customer service office sends out over a quarter of a million water bills each year. Segment Six (The Cost of Your Water!) It is important to note that water service charges are based only on the cost of providing service. When you pay your water bill - you are paying for the cost of treatment and transportation of your water. Your water rate is among the lowest of the thirty plus water agencies in Orange County - and we work hard to make your service the best. Yorba Linda Water District has successfully met many challenges since its establishment in 1909 - but many challenges still lie ahead. We are committed to keeping the cost of water down - while serving an ever- increasing population - and meeting ever-more stringent water quality standards. Segment Seven (Our Commitment to Service) Each of the District's Directors and staff are prepared to meet these challenges. Yorba Linda Water District is proud of its history of providing safe reliable water at a reasonable cost to our community. We look forward to serving our mission of providing water for municipal, industrial, fire protection and agricultural uses that meets or exceeds all state and federal water quality standards. We will also continue to provide a reliable and efficient community sewer system - and to provide courteous and responsive service at the most economically responsible cost to our customers. You can visit the Yorba Linda Water District on the World Wide Web at www.ylwd.com. Yorba Linda Water District Informational Video Script Transcribed from the video on January 23, 2008 Water is truly one of our greatest natural resources. Without water, our planet would be a vast barren wasteland, similar to the surface of Mars. With water, life is possible. Although over seventy percent of the surface of our planet is covered with water, less than one percent is accessible fresh water. People need clean fresh water for drinking, cooking, washing, agriculture, and sanitation purposes. In the past, people built their settlements close to fresh water sources - rivers, lakes and other natural waterways. Today, with the advent of modern civil engineering, water is accessible to major cities in naturally dry areas. Cities in southern California are example of how modern science and technology is capable of making civilization viable where it could not have existed in the past. Most of southern California has a semi-desert, Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Orange County receives an average of only 14 inches of rainfall per year. Yorba Linda Water District provides water and sewer services to most of Yorba Linda and to portions of Placentia, Anaheim, Brea and unincorporated Orange County. We are an independent special district that serves nearly seventy thousand people, and more than twenty three thousand residential, commercial and landscaping service accounts. Your water district is governed by a five member Board of Directors. The Directors are elected by the voters to four year terms of office. These Directors live in the community, use the District's services, and pay the same water rates that you do. The district's professional staff has expertise in such varied areas as water and sewer system operation, civil engineering, business and finance services, general administration, and other functions of the water supply industry. These skills are necessary in order that your district perform its mission of providing high quality water every time you turn on your tap. The Yorba Linda Water company, predecessor of the present district, was formed in 1909. That was the year Theodore Roosevelt left the United States Presidency, the Panama Canal was still in the planning state, and the incorporation of the City of Yorba Linda was still fifty eight years in the future. This mutually-held water company was formed to bring water to the residents of a predominantly agricultural community. Today, the Yorba Linda Water District responds to the needs of an ever-increasing residential population. To supply our community with the water it needs, we utilize a combination of local well water and imported water sources. Around half of your water comes from a large, underground natural water bearing formation called an aquifer located beneath northern Orange County. The aquifer was created by favorable geological formations, and by water contributed over the centuries by the largest river in southern California, the Santa Ana River. Most water producing agencies in Orange County voluntarily limit themselves to taking a maximum of seventy five percent of their total water requirement from the aquifer. Yorba Linda Water District voluntarily limits well water productions to avoid depleting the basin, which would ultimately destroy this irreplaceable resource. Our well water is natural pure and of high quality. Chlorine helps to insure water delivered to your home is always "drinking water quality". The District produces around three point two billion gallons of water annually from our eight water wells. The Richfield Road water plant serves as our field headquarters and primary well water pumping station. It's also the location of the District's computerized water distribution control system. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is the regional importer of water. "M-W-D" brings Colorado River and northern California water into the area, where it is treated at the Robert Diemer Filtration Plant located just north of Yorba Linda. Here the water is filtered, chlorinated and tested to ensure that it meets all water quality standards. Water from the Diemer Plant is delivered to Yorba Linda Water District's eleven water storage reservoirs. Most of these reservoirs are underground, concrete tanks located on hilltops. Collectively these reservoirs hold approximately 40 million gallons of water in storage for use by our customers. The reservoirs are located on hilltops so that we can use natural gravity to flow the water to our customers. The use of gravity flow is both economical and reliable. The District's water reservoirs are built to the highest engineering standards. They are continually inspected and maintained and are well protected from damage from earthquakes or other natural disasters. These reservoirs provide water storage for daily water use, firefighting and emergencies, such as loss of well or imported water. Water is a finite resource. Because of increasing population and limited water supplies, southern Californians must always be prepared for drought. Adopting a "water wise" lifestyle is essential. Encouraging our customers to become conservation aware is an important aspect of the District's mission. In our essentially residential community, about half of all water use occurs indoors, and half outdoors, mostly for lawn and garden irrigation. Yorba Linda Water District strongly encourages the use of drought tolerant landscape. Drought tolerant landscape - also known as "xeriscape" - applies common sense landscape practices that are appropriate to the dry environment that we live in. These practices include designing a beautiful yard that uses less water, incorporating colorful plants that live on less water, using efficient irrigation equipment, and utilizing landscape maintenance practices that are compatible with our dry climate. Common sense also applies to indoor water use. Wash full loads only in clothes washers and dishwashers. Install modern "low flow" shower heads that emit only three gallons of water per minute, while providing a satisfying shower. Install "ultra-low-flow" toilets that use only one point six gallons of water per flush. Using a water conserving model will help you significantly lower your water bill. The toilet is the largest indoor water user, and the largest contributor to the waste water collection system. The District maintains a reliable and efficient sanitary sewer system. The entire system is continually inspected and cleaned - and potential sewer trouble is mitigated before it becomes a problem for our customers. For many southern Californians, water gualitK is becoming more of a concern that water guantity. Many people in the southland purchase bottled water or use a home water filtration device. The majority of those that purchase bottled water or a filtration device do so to improve the taste of their water. Over the last several decades, a tremendous amount of research has been done on water quality concerns. All water provided by the Yorba Linda Water District must meet increasingly stringent state and federal water quality standards. We contract with an independent state certified water testing laboratory that obtains more than 140 water samples each month. Your tap water must meet tougher standards that does bottled water that can cost more than 800 times as much per gallon. All water consumption in our community is measured by a water meter. The District's customer service office sends out nearly a quarter of a million water bills each year. It is important to note that water service charges are based only on the cost of providing service. When you pay your water bill - you are paying for the cost of treatment and transportation of your water. Your water rate is among the lowest of the thirty plus water agencies in Orange County - and we work hard to make your service the best. Yorba Linda Water District has successfully met many challenges since its establishment in 1909 - but many challenges still lie ahead. We are committed to keeping the cost of water down - while serving an ever- increasing population - and meeting ever-more stringent water quality standards. 4 But each of the District's Directors and staff are prepared to meet these challenges. Yorba Linda Water District is proud of its history of providing safe reliable water at a reasonable cost to our community. We look forward to serving our mission of providing water for municipal, industrial, fire protection and agricultural uses, that meets all state and federal water quality standards. We will also continue to provide a reliable and efficient community sewer system - and to provide courteous and responsive service at the most economically responsible cost to our customers. You can visit the Yorba Linda Water District on the world wide web at www.ylwd.com.