2001 Summer - Contra Costa Water District

A Community Newsletter from the Contra Costa Water District | Volume 15, Number 2, Summer 01
C O N T R A
L O M A
R E S E R V O I R
Summertime
Project Protects
Contra Loma Dam
T
he Contra Costa Water District will
begin work in Antioch this summer to
protect the Contra Loma Dam’s eastern
abutment and preserve the integrity of a
600-foot section of the reservoir’s shoreline.
This work will stop an erosion problem at
the dam’s eastern abutment well before dam
safety becomes a concern.
“It’s essential that the Water District move
rapidly to assure future dam safety,” said Tom
Linville, Assistant General Manager for Engineering. “This work will prevent additional
erosion, maintain safety and save the cost of
much more expensive repairs.”
To make the repairs, about one-third of the
water in the reservoir will be drained in midJuly.This is necessary to make the damaged
area accessible to construction crews. Once
the reservoir is partially drained, the Contra
Loma swim area will be dry and closed to
swimmers for the remainder of the summer.
The Contra Loma reservoir will be partially drained in mid-July for necessary repairs.
As a result, the swim area will be closed for the rest of the summer.
The Water District will use this as an opportunity to replace the current swim area with
a new filtered-water swim lagoon in time for
the 2002 swim season.The lagoon will
comply with a state order to improve public
health protection at Contra Loma by
separating the swim area from the drinking
water. It will be located where the current
swim area is and created by building a low
wall between the current swim area and the
rest of the lake.Treating and filtering of the
CCWD B OARD
OF
You can save water and energy by replacing an older clothes
washer with a new, high-efficiency model. For most people, the
savings can add up to more than $100 a year by reducing your
water, energy and detergent costs. For a limited time, Contra
Costa Water District customers can receive a $75 rebate for
replacing an old washer with a high-efficiency, horizontal-axis
machine. To qualify, you must contact the Water District for
more information and request a rebate application before
purchasing the new washer. Call us at (925) 688-8320 or visit
our web site at www.ccwater.com.
D IRECTORS
James Pretti
President
Noble O. Elcenko, D.C.
Vice President
Elizabeth R. Anello
Bette Boatmun
Joseph L. Campbell
Writer/Editor
Gina Oltman
goltman@ccwater.com
Fishing and picnicking will continue once
the reser voir is par tially drained.
However, boat launching will be impacted.
CCWD regrets interrupting the end of
the swim season at Contra Loma, but this
required work must be star ted during the
dr y season so that repairs are completed
before next winter’s rains.
General Manager
Walter J. Bishop
1331 Concord Ave.
P.O. Box H2O
Concord, CA 94524
(925) 688-8000
http://www.ccwater.com
S AV E $ 7 5 0 0
Rebates
Offered
for New
Clothes
Washers
lagoon water will keep it clean and safe for
swimmers. For updates, check our web site at
www.ccwater.com or call (925) 688-8225.
The Contra Costa Water District provides water to 450,000 Contra
Costa County residents. Approximately 230,000 residents in Clayton,
Clyde, Concord, Martinez, Pacheco, Pleasant Hill, Port Costa, and
Walnut Creek receive water that has been treated by a District water
treatment plant.
The other 220,000 are served by local water agencies that receive
raw water from CCWD, then treat, distribute and bill for it themselves.
These agencies are City of Antioch, City of Martinez, City of Pittsburg
and the California Cities Water Company (Bay Point). Oakley
residents are served by a jointly owned CCWD/Diablo Water District
treatment plant.
CCWD Saves Energy While Serving You
T
he Contra Costa Water District is
committed to providing its customers
with uninterrupted water service this
summer, despite the threat of rolling
blackouts and soaring power prices.
Pumping water at our Delta intakes
and throughout our distribution system
requires about 25 megawatts of power,
enough to power 25,000 homes. To do
our part during the energy crisis, the
Water District has adjusted its operations
in ways that will control costs without
affecting service to customers. These
adjustments include taking advantage
of lower off-peak rates by pumping and
treating water during non-peak hours
(after 6 p.m. and before noon) as much
as possible. In addition, the District has
emergency generators to ensure that
equipment continues to operate during
extended outages.
Limiting pumping and water treatment
to off-peak hours is the Water District’s
key strategy for saving energy. This
strategy is possible because the District
employs skilled water treatment and
control operators and has flexible storage
Highly skilled control operators at Contra Costa Water District adjust pumping operations from
the Control Center to reduce our demand for electricity during peak hours.
capabilities built into its water system. For example, in Central Contra Costa, treated
drinking water will be pumped at night and early morning into 40 reservoirs, then
delivered by gravity flow to customers throughout the day.
Even with these power-saving measures, the District’s electric costs are expected to rise
dramatically from about $4 million this year to more than $6 million in fiscal year 2002.
The District is currently looking at other options to ensure reliable customer service
in the uncertain energy future. Those options include creating some of its own power
on the canal system, and partnering on energy projects with other agencies.
New
from new fishing piers, rental boats and
the shoreline.
Los Vaqueros
Facilities to
Open in Late
Summer
At the Marina you’ll find fishing piers,
including one designed for handicapped
accessibility, rental boats, bait and tackle
sales, a fish cleaning station, a picnic
area and parking. It is located at the
end of Los Vaqueros Road in the
southern watershed. Additional fishing
piers are also under construction on
the nor thern shoreline.
onstruction of a Marina, Interpretive
Center and other recreational
facilities at the Los Vaqueros Watershed
is in the final stretch. Work is slated for
completion at the end of the summer.
At that time, the reservoir opens for fishing
C
Visitors to the Interpretive Center will
find displays covering the area’s cultural
histor y, geography and natural
resources. The exhibits will also feature
information about the Los Vaqueros
Project, why it was built, and how it
operates. The Interpretive Center is
located at the Dam Staging Area in
the nor thern watershed.
Not far from the Interpretive Center,
a group picnic area with restrooms,
shade structures, and parking is being
developed. These new facilities join the
55 miles of trails opened more than
a year ago for hiking, bicycling and
horse-back riding.
For more information about
recreational oppor tunities and facilities
at the Los Vaqueros Watershed, check
our website at www.ccwater.com.
New facilities for Los Vaqueros Reservoir include an Interpretive Center at the north end (left photo) and a Marina/Visitors’ Center
with boat rentals at the south end.
Printed on Recycled Paper
PIC 136K
n
Summer 01