NEWSLETTER - CRITICAL WATER SHORTAGE!
March 01, 2022
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation outlines Initial 2022 Central Valley Project water allocations
On February 23, 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation provided the initial water supply forecast for the Central Valley Project (CVP) as follows:
North-of-Delta Contractors – Sacramento River (including Bella Vista Water District)
- Irrigation water service and repayment contractors north-of-Delta are allocated 0% of their contract total.
- Municipal and industrial water service and repayment contractors north-of-Delta will be provided water for public health and safety needs consistent with the CVP M&I Water Shortage Policy.
Because the District has limited access to groundwater, produced by District wells, and in accordance with the Bureau of Reclamation’s Shortage Policy, the District will not receive any water supply allocation from the CVP for the 2022 Water Year beginning March 1, 2022, through February 28, 2023.
DISTRICT DECLARES STAGE 5b - CRITICAL WATER SHORTAGE AND ADOPTS MANDATORY CONSERVATION MEASURES
Effective immediately, all municipal customers are asked to conserve at least 40% as compared to their historical use, defined as the prior three years of unconstrained use (i.e. 2017, 2018, 2019).
Based on this initial allocation, the District must impose severe water restrictions and strongly encourages conservation along with wise and efficient water use by all customers. The District will utilize limited groundwater to provide for public health and safety purposes, first and foremost, based on the current standard of 55 gallons per person per day and will endeavor to supplement the zero supply allocation. If ever there was a time to sacrifice the lawn in order to conserve very limited water, this is it!
- Residential, Rural, Commercial and Public Institutional Customer Classes
All District Residential, Rural, Commercial and Public/Institutional accounts shall receive a quantity equal to 60% of their average historical use from the prior three unconstrained years (2017, 2018 and 2019) for each location and billing period. All District Residential, Rural, Commercial and Public/Institutional accounts that have no historical use shall receive a minimum quantity of 18 HCF for each billing period as set forth below. Overuse penalty rates shall apply to all use exceeding the 60% allocation or 18 HCF per billing cycle.
STAGE 5b – CRITICAL WATER SHORTAGE RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITIONS
Please review the attached summary of Mandatory Prohibitions. It will be critically important to limit outdoor water use and conserve water to meet public health, safety and sanitary purposes.
Customers are asked to conserve water in any way they can. For most customers, the vast majority of water is used outdoors and therefore represents the greatest opportunity for conserving water. Considerable conservation and savings can be achieved by reducing outdoor irrigation, shortening irrigation runtimes and sacrificing thirsty lawn areas, or relandscaping with native and drought-tolerant landscaping. For additional conservation ideas please visit the District’s website: www.bvwd.org
OVERUSE PENALTY
The District is a not-for-profit public agency formed under the California Water Code. There is no profit, no shareholders, and rates are used to offset operational costs, meet ever-increasing regulations and provide for infrastructure maintenance, rehabilitation and water supply augmentation. The District’s Board and staff strive to keep rates as low as possible while balancing the need to maintain and reinvest in the water system for the long-term benefit of the District’s customers. The District’s Board and staff would strongly prefer that customers conserve water and not incur any overuse penalties to ensure adequate supply to get through this difficult year. However, an overuse penalty, while undesirable, provides an important financial disincentive for exceeding supply allocations when voluntary conservation will not be adequate to achieve the necessary level of conservation. Revenue derived from overuse penalties will be used to offset the significantly higher expenses for groundwater pumping, water purchases and other drought-related programs that are not reflected in the current rates. Overuse penalties, as determined by the recorded meter reading, shall be as follows:
Effective immediately, Municipal Customers (Residential, Rural, Commercial, Public Institutional) that exceed their allocation will receive an Overuse Penalty of $2.00 per HCF, in addition to the current water usage rate, for all use exceeding their allocation of 60% of their average historical use defined as the average of the prior three years of unconstrained use (i.e. 2017, 2018, 2019).
Example of How to Understand your Bill. In this example the Customer has an allotment of 18 HCF for the billing period of May 16 – July 19 based on the prior 3 unconstrained years.
Previous Current
Readings 3080 3110 equals 30 HCF (Hundred Cubic Feet).
Water use rate: 18 HCF x $0.69 = $12.42
Overuse Penalty rate: (30 HCC - 18 = 12 HCF) x $2.69/HCF = $32.28
Total: $44.70
ADOPT A HYDRANT AND REPORT TAMPERING AND WATER THEFT!
Fire hydrants provide a critically important fire suppression function for our region. Water theft and improper use of hydrants increase costs, may damage the hydrant, and cause damaging water hammer. Please consider “adopting” hydrants in your neighborhood by promptly reporting any use or tampering. The only authorized use of hydrants is by Calfire or the local fire department, District Operators performing maintenance or necessary flushing, or by licensed contractors that have obtained a permit and are using a District issue hydrant meter. Please promptly report any hydrant tampering use to the District at (530) 241-1085.
REVISED RATES
Each year the District reviews and adjusts rates based on the previously completed Cost of Service Rate Study. Increases or decreases in the wholesale cost of water purchased from the Central Valley Project (CVP) are directly “passed through” to customers. Additionally, the District annually adjusts the remaining costs components by the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) plus up to 2% as a contingency for higher increases in chemicals, power, and other District expenses. The adopted rates reflect the increased CVP rates and the CPI-U adjustment plus 2% and become effective May 1, 2022.
SCHEDULE OF BIMONTHLY WATER RATES
RESIDENTIAL, RURAL, COMMERCIAL, PUBLIC INSTITUTIONAL AND LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION
Meter Class Base Rates
20 $ 47.01
30 $ 50.38
50 $ 55.60
100 $ 64.90
160 $ 73.09
200 $ 77.63
300 $ 87.14
450 $ 98.53
900 $ 123.56
1200 $ 136.47
1500 $ 147.69
2000 $ 163.93
2500 $ 178.07
3300 $ 197.75
4500 $ 222.85
6000 $ 249.47
The commodity rate is $0.69 per HCF (One hundred cubic foot).
Water Treatment Plant Improvement Loan Repayment - $14.00 bimonthly charge for all customers.
Fire Service Rates
Line Size Base Rate
2 $ 30.09
3 $ 40.92
4 $ 57.77
6 $ 79.43
8 $ 99.89
10 $ 125.17
