PCWD Newsletter Archive

Spring Newsletter April 2010

A full bathtub of water requires about 70 gallons of water, while taking a 5 minute shower under a low flow showerhead uses 10 to 25 gallons of water.
Turn it Down! The average bathroom faucet runs at the rate of about 2 gallons per minute. Try running water at less than full flow. Turn your water off while you floss and brush your teeth.
Fill ‘er up! Running the dishwasher or washing machine when they are only half full uses just as much water as full loads.
In just 16 hours, US water utilities produce as much potable water as the oil industry produces in oil, in a year.
In 24 hours, as much water tonnage is produced as the steel industry produces in steel in an entire year.

The majority of people in the US, 66%, live in areas served by large water systems that typically rely on surface water from lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. Approximately 80% of public water systems are in smaller communities that generally rely on groundwater. Stage 1 vs. No Stage, by Jerry Holldber, General Manager
When determining if we should stay in Stage 1 or change stages, I look at the big picture. It is not the amount of snow on the ground or the number of inches of rain received, it is whether or not the amount of water going into the ground is replenishing the water table. While some of the numbers look impressive, they can be deceiving.
Each stage has specific water use requirements that are important for maintaining an adequate water supply for residents in Pine Cove. We are currently in Stage 1. Of all the stages, Stage 1 is the least restrictive. It calls for voluntary compliance. Stage 2 is more serious and calls for customers to limit the hours for watering, no filling hot tubs, and immediate repairs must be made to leaking water lines. Stage 3 is the most serious and is mandatory. No water can be used it irrigate plants, trees or landscaping of any kind. No water can be taken from fire hydrants, except for fire emergencies or maintenance of system water.
We have very limited water resources at PCWD, and I feel that we should constantly be diligent in our water use and practice conserving as much as possible at all times, not just when a water conservation stage is declared.
Stage 1 brings awareness to our customers of the need to conserve. Conserving water is something that we all should be practicing on a daily basis. Conserving water now assures us of a more adequate supply in the future.
Stage 1 allows us to offer rebates to customers on items such as low flow toilets, water recycling systems, and washing machines. Our rebate program helps our customers with the cost of purchasing these items now rather than later.
Stage 1 does not create any hardships for our customers, financially or otherwise. With our tiered water rates, only excessive water users are affected by the higher rates. 98% of our customers do not fall into this category and they continue to pay the same in Stage 1, as they would in no stage. The District makes no extra revenue off of being in Stage 1, in fact, it is just the opposite. The less water our customers use, the less revenue the District takes in.
We care about Pine Cove, the environment and our customers. Conserving now regardless of the presence of a drought or not, assures us of a good water supply now and in the future. Waiting until things get desperate before moving into a conservation stage or coming out of a stage and having to go back in is not the best water management practice.
Water is a precious commodity everywhere, but especially here on the Hill. With proper management of our resources and with customers who are concerned enough not to waste water will help ensure that we have an adequate supply of water for many years to come.

Busy Busy this Summer!
PCWD crews will be doing water construction work this Spring & Summer on Marion Ridge Rd., Pine Cove Rd., Sylvan Way and Norwood Dr., as soon as weather allows. From Marion Ridge to Hwy 243, we will be installing a new 8” main and fire hydrants. On Marion Ridge, Pine Cove Rd. and Sylvan Way, we will be tying services over to the new main. Please be careful of the many potholes. On Norwood Dr., we will be installing a new 6” main to replace the old leaky one. Please be extra, extra cautious and slow down in our construction zones. Also, the County Road Dept plans on replacing the asphalt on these roads and on Acorn and Wrightwood Roads. Wow – New Roads! Thanking you all for your patience and cooperation.
Spring is in the air!!
Come by our office to pick up your free birdhouse. All the local birds will thank you, and you’ll enjoy watching the birds and getting glimpses of their young as they fledge the nest.
Limited Supply – 1st come……..

Free Woodchips!
FREE!!! FREE!!! FREE!!! Come one come all!! Get free woodchips. Put them in your yard and around your flowerbeds and gardens. They help retain water and minimize outside watering. We also encourage the use of compost in gardens as this also helps soil retain moisture and enriches the soil. Special thanks to Riverside County Fire (Kevin Turner) in supplying the District with the chips.
Please follow Fire Department Guidelines.

Free Conservation Kits!!
Come and pick up your free Conservation Kit. This kit includes an Earth Massage 1.5 GPM Showerhead, Kitchen Swivel 1.5 GPM Aerator, 2 Bathroom Faucet 1.0 GPM Aerators, Toilet Water Saver, Toilet Leak Detection Tablets, Flow Meter Bag, and a Water Conservation Wheel to provide useful ways to conserve water around your house.

Public Hearing
The District will hold a Public Hearing on June 9th 2010 at 10:00 am so the Board of Directors can hear and consider all objections or protests, if any, to this assessment charge. The Standby Assessment charge only applies to parcels of land which currently do not have an active metered service. If you have any questions prior to this Public Hearing, please contact Jerry Holldber, General Manager at the District Office. This year’s charges follow guidelines as in the previous years.
Make your payment by Visa, MasterCard, Discover
The District is pleased to announce that we now accept Visa, MasterCard or Discover for payment on your account. In order for the District to be able to do this, without absorbing the fee, there will be a Convenience Fee of $2.50 per transaction, charged at the time of payment. This fee goes to the Credit Card Company, and not the District.
Board Meetings
The Board of Directors hold their monthly meeting on the second Wednesday of the month, at 10:00 am. The meetings usually last less than an hour. Please come and join us so you can see how our Board functions. We welcome public comments, and we welcome all of our customers. Good or bad, your comments and suggestions are very important to us.
Pine Cove Property Owners Association/Pine Cove Water District Appreciation Day
This year’s Annual Customer Appreciation Day will be on June 5, 2010. The day will begin at the Pine Cove Property Owners monthly meeting at the Pine Cove Fire Station. Jerry Holldber, our General Manager will give a State of the District presentation and answer all of your questions. Following the meeting, we will then meet at our Dutch Flats Treatment Facility for Tri-Tip Sandwiches and all the fixin’s. (Yes, free to all Pine Cove’rs) We had a great turnout last year, and expect to see more of you this year. Please RSVP to the District office.
All Powered Up
Through the cooperative efforts of Riverside County Fire Dept, CSA 38 and Pine Cove Water District, a new diesel powered CAT 100kw back-up generator has been installed. PCWD secured a grant to pay 50% of purchase cost. The remaining 50% was then paid for by CSA 38 and PCWD. County Fire then installed and permitted the generator on District property. It works great! Come see it!
Web site & Blog
The District has a website at www.pcwd.org. You can find valuable information there, as well as current Minutes and Agenda’s. There is information on our Board of Directors and our Staff. You will also find our current rates and the rates for the different stages.
We also encourage you to visit our Blog where you will find current information and you can leave your comments. Please tell us what you think!!

CUSTOMER VALVE
Know where your customer valve is! Every customer has a customer valve and you should know how to turn it on and off. If you need help, please call our office during normal working hours, and we can come out and show you where it is and how to turn it on & off. Remember that you are responsible for paying for any water that goes through your meter, even if it was a leak, so we want to remind you again that the one most important thing you can do when you leave your mountain home is to shut off your water at your customer valve, located next to the District valve and meter.
Office & Staff Information
The District office is open from 9:00 am to 12:00/1:00 to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. In an emergency, our field workers can be reached at 951-294-8282. If you get the voice mail, please leave a message and your call will be returned in a short amount of time.

Jerry Holldber, General Manager
Jerry Johnson, Field Foreman
Jeremy Potter, Maintenance Worker II
Becky Smith, Office Manager/District Secretary
Vicki Jakubac, Office Assistant/Conservation Specialist

NEW FAMILY MEMBER
Jeremy Potter and his wife Kati welcomed their second son, Chase Ryan Potter on March 18th. Chase measured in at 7 lbs 13 ozs, and is 19 ¾” long. Chase joins his big brother Aaron and big sister Cami.

REMINDER
Every Spring during the months of April and May, District crews flush all hydrants and exercise all main line valves throughout the entire District. When flushing, you can observe the excellent quality water with no color. Yearly flushing help maintain this superb water quality. When you observe our crews performing these tasks, please slow down and be observant for everyone’s safety. Thanks for your cooperation!

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GENERAL INFORMATION

Pine Cove Water District makes the quality of your drinking water one of our priorities. We produce water that meets or exceeds all State and Federal Standards for safe drinking water. We monitor your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The attached report shows the results of all monitoring prior to January 1, 2010.

The water you drink comes from our sixteen wells located in the Pine Cove area. This water is aerated through our new aeration plant to remove approximately 80% of the carbon dioxide and raises the pH level from 6.3 to 7.2. This treatment provides the water customer with water that is less aggressive to pipes and plumbing.

All drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material and can pick up substances from the presence of animals or human activity. In order to insure that the tap water is safe to drink, USEPA and the State Department of Health Services (Department) prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Department regulations also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, that can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.
Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm runoff and residential use.
Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals that are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. USEPA/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791)

An assessment of the drinking water sources for the Pine Cove Water District was completed in December 2002 by the State of California Department of Health Services. The sources are most vulnerable to the following activities not associated with any detected contaminants: low density septic systems, sewer collections systems, and campgrounds/recreational areas. A copy of the assessment summary is available at the District Office.

Due to the increased threat of terrorism and vandalism in our world today, the Pine Cove Water District has improved and upgraded our security systems. If you or anyone you know ever see anything suspicious or out of the ordinary around any of our facilities please report these actions immediately.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Jerry Holldber, General Manager

Pine Cove Water District

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PARAMETER	UNITS	MCL		P. C. W. D.
			RANGE		AVERAGE
INORGANIC CHEMICALS
Aluminum	ug/l	1,000	ND		ND
Antimony	ug/l	6	ND		ND
Arsenic	ug/l	50	ND		ND
Asbestos	MFL	7	ND		ND
Barium	ug/l	1,000	ND		ND
Beryllium	ug/l	4	ND		ND
Cadmium	ug/l	5	ND		ND
Chromium (Total)	ug/l	50	ND		ND
Copper	ug/l	1,300	ND		ND
Cyanide	ug/l	200	ND		ND
Iron	ug/l	300	41		33
Lead	ug/l	15	15		2
Manganese	ug/l	50	ND		ND
Mercury	ug/l	2	ND		ND
Nickel	ug/l	100	ND		ND
Nitrite (as N)	ug/l	1,000	ND		ND
Selenium	ug/l	50	ND		ND
Silver	ug/l	100	ND		ND
Thallium	ug/l	2	ND		ND
Zinc	ug/l	5,000	290.0 to 0		43.4

GENERAL MINERAL & PHYSICAL
Total Hardness	mg/l	none	98 to 23		43
Calcium	mg/l	none	32 to 8		14
Magnesium	mg/l	none	<1.0 to 5.4		2.1
Sodium	mg/l	none	17 to 10		13
Potassium	mg/l	none	3.7 to 1.8		2.1
Total Alkalinity	mg/l	none	93 to 34		52
Hydroxide	mg/l	none	<3 to <3		<3
Carbonate	mg/l	none	<3 to <3		<3
Bicarbonate	mg/l	none	110 to 41		63
Sulfate	mg/l	250	8.7 to 1		2
Chloride	mg/l	250	30 to 1.8		6.8
Nitrate	mg/l	45	<2 to 5.6		2.5
Fluoride	mg/l	2	<.1 to .2		0.11
PH (Laboratory)	units	none	7.3 to 6.4		6.6
Specific Conductance	umhos/cm	900	230 to 20		138
Total Filterable Residue	mg/l	500	150 to 20		108
Apparent Color	units	15	<3 to 10		3.4
Odor Threshold @ 60C	TON	3	<1 to <1		<1
LabTurbidity	NTU	5	.20 to 20.00		1.62
MBAS	mg/l	0.5	< .05 to <.05		<.05

PARAMETER

UNITS

MCL

P. C. W. D.

RANGE

AVERAGE

RADIOLOGICAL

Gross Alpha

PCI/L

0 to 3

0.13

BACTERIOLOGICAL

Total Coliform (Presence/Absence)

#positive

1 positive

negative

REGULATED VOLATILE ORGANIC CHEMICALS

Benzene

ug/l

Carbon Tetachloride

ug/l

0.5

1,2 - Dichlorobenzene

ug/l

600

1,4 - Dichlorobenzene

ug/l

1,1 - Dichloroethane

ug/l

1,2 - Dichloroethane

ug/l

0.5

1,1 - Dichloroethylene

ug/l

CIS - 1,2 - Dichloroethylene

ug/l

Trans - 1,2 Dichloroethylene

ug/l

Dichloromethane

ug/l

1,2 - Dichloropropane

ug/l

1,3 - Dichloropropene (total)

ug/l

0.5

Ethylbenzene

ug/l

700

Methyl -Tert-Butyl-Ether (MTBE)

ug/l

Monochlorobenzene

ug/l

Styrene

ug/l

100

1,1,2,2 - Tetrachloroethane

ug/l

Tetrachloroethylene

ug/l

Toluene

ug/l

150

1,2,4 - Trichlorobenzene

ug/l

1,1,1, - Trichloroethane

ug/l

200

1,1,2, - Trichlororethane

ug/l

Trichloroethylene

ug/l

Trichlorofluoromethane (freon 11)

ug/l

150

1,1,2,-Trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane (freon 113)

ug/l

1200

Vinyl Chloride

ug/l

0.5

Xylenes (total)

1750

DEFINITIONS

UNITS

ug/1 - milligrams per billion

mg/l – milligrams per liter

ppb - parts per billion

ntu – nephelometric turbidity units

Pci/l – Picocuries per liter

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): Maximum contaminant level – the maximum permissable level of a contaminant

as set by the State Health Department or U. S. E. P. A.

ND - None detected

Range – If detected, gives highest and lowest levels at sources.

Average – Average levels of all sources tested.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE CALL PINE COVE WATER DISTRICT AT

(951) 659-2675