Coastside County Water District held an extremely informative special meeting to conduct a Water Supply Workshop yesterday, Thursday, June 26, 2008. At the conclusion of the meeting, I offered the following extemporaneous remarks:

Good afternoon.

This has been a very, very informative meeting, and I’d like to congratulate Dave Dickson and your staff in putting this together. I’ve worked with Dave many years ago when he was Manager of Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside and I served on the Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside Board.

For those of you who don’t know, my name is Paul Perkovic and I’m currently President of the Montara Water and Sanitary District Board.

Our District, like yours, faces a number of challenges. Our District, like yours, has been working diligently, to try to resolve those challenges. Our District, like yours, has the goal of trying to meet the needs of the community that we serve with safe, relatively low cost water, given the history of the private company from which we took over the District, in an environmentally sensitive way, and in particular, planning for future emergencies such as droughts. Our District, like yours, serves extremely high quality water, with occasional exceedences and citations.

It serves no one’s interest to harp on shortcomings of either district. It serves no one’s interest to misrepresent the accomplishments of either district. It serves no one’s interest to attack individual board members on political issues that have nothing to do with their service as water directors.

I came to this meeting because I thought we would be looking at regional water needs. Regional water needs are something we would need to consider if we do consolidate. It is unfortunate that some of the Board members, on both sides, have engaged in public displays of hostility towards each other, which are poisoning the atmosphere for working together.

I met with Ev Ascher shortly after I was elected [President of MWSD], and I pledged that we would cease and desist. However, it has been resumed again. I would wish that your board members, and your board member’s supporters, specifically Brian and Terry, be called off; we will do the same. Let us work together to solve the water problems of our communities.

Thank you.

I am posting this so that Jim Larimer, in a more calm environment, might think about the consequences of his continued war on MWSD, which he resumed immediately after returning home from this meeting.

Our communities deserve better.

Considering the condition of our air quality with the thousands of fires all around us, how many are concerned with our community allowing fireworks to add to this pollution. Personal fireworks are already illegal, but our Coastside community fireworks display contributes to the problem.

We are now in "moderate quality" air, and many of the fires are predicted to continue for literally months. Our environment is already in a huge mess as a result of all chemicals

The elderly, those w/asthma and other health conditions are being advised to stay indoors as much as possible. My horse developerd colic last year as a result of the Coastside fireworks display. And I have heard of others angry that their domestic pets suffer. It would be great if someone with a creative mind could come up with a new idea of how to celebrate the 4th.

The pretty lights and the loud noises are for the kids, and they could be entertained in new ways that protect our environment and don’t make it worse.

Susan Webb

Paul Perkovic is Board President of the Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD), however this article reflects his individual views and does not indicate a position of the District.

There has been discussion in the community about whether MWSD should use water from the Devil’s Slide project. This article summarizes what is being said, what is known, and what can be concluded. It is not intended to advocate for any particular solution, just to present facts and background information.

Summary

• Far less Devil’s Slide Tunnel water is available than claimed
• Its reliability is not yet proven
• Construction costs could be $175,000 per acre-foot or more for pipelines and treatment
• Proven alternatives can be built at approximately $10,000 per acre-foot
• Recycling water may provide new water, cost savings and environmental benefits for Montara / Moss Beach citizens
• MWSD’s new Alta Vista Well may solve much of the existing water supply deficit

What is being claimed

Jim Larimer, an elected Director of the Coastside County Water District (CCWD), writes on TalkAbout, "Ask MWSD why they did not attempt to get the 1,000 gallons per minute of water that is coming out the Tunnel Project?" in one of his postings.

Charlie Gardner, an elected Member of the Governing Board of Cabrillo Unified School District, echoed that same question here on Coastsider, asking: "The tunnel project my company is currently constructing has enough water coming out of the mountain to relieve the moratorium. What has MWSD done to make that available?"

What are some of the facts?

Charlie Gardner provided prompt, informative answers to the questions I posed. It is remarkable what can happen when we work together towards solutions, rather than attacking each other. Jim Larimer, on the other hand, continues to defend his recklessly irresponsible claim of 1,000 gallons per minute, and refuses to answer any questions about his own district.

Charlie Gardner is a civil engineering construction Project Manager with Kiewit Pacific Company, which is building the tunnel, so he may have access to relatively reliable information.

Mr. Gardner reports that the "current yield of dewatering from the tunnel is in the range of 25-50 gallons per minute." That is a far cry from the 1000 gallons per minute being tossed around on TalkAbout as "truth" by Jim Larimer.

A yield of 25 to 50 gallons per minute (gpm) is equivalent to about 40 to 80 acre-feet of water, a common measure in the water utility industry.

Construction cost estimates

Mr. Gardner suggested very rough cost estimates of $1 million for a treatment plant to bring this water up to public drinking water standards, $3 million for a pipeline, and $3 million for other costs. This gives a total estimate of $7 million, or a capital cost of $87,500 to $175,000 per acre-foot, if we accept Mr. Gardner’s estimates as realistic.

I sincerely thank Mr. Gardner for his answers and spirit of cooperation. It confirms that the MWSD Board already has better options in hand, namely, desalination, which has a capital cost of approximately $10,000 per acre-foot, or water reclamation and recycling, which is currently being pursued as a regional solution to water needs by Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside.

These are all future projects that would be paid for entirely by new development, not existing customers, after MWSD has brought the antiquated Citizens Utilities system up to contemporary water system design standards as promised in the Measure V campaign in 2001. The community committed, by an 80.66% vote, to the direction undertaken by the MWSD Board.

Better, cheaper water sources available to MWSD

Desalination is reliable, drought-proof, and has a predictable and dependable yield. A desalination plant can be built in modules, as capacity is needed. Desalination is generally viewed as a high-cost water source with potential environmental problems. However, as illustrated by a quick "back of the envelope" type sanity check calculation, it is far less costly than potential water, of unknown reliability and quality, from the Devil’s Slide Tunnel.

Recycling is another future water supply option. Like desalination, it is reliable and drought-proof. Major obstacles to use of recycled water include cost of treatment to meet needs of the floriculture industry and public perception of "toilet to tap" in some communities (locally, for example, Redwood City).

MWSD also has the new Alta Vista Well as an additional water source. Reliable yield and permitting issues are still being worked out with the Coastal Commission.

For those who base their decisions on facts, I hope this will put the issue of water from the Devil’s Slide Tunnel as a solution to MWSD’s water shortage problems to rest. It is not an economically viable solution.

Click below for more…

The remains of a rare giant squid have been retrieved by marine researchers off Santa Cruz, reports the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

The animal’s cause of death was not immediately known, nor were its dimensions. Based on its mantle size, though, Field said the animal likely approached 25 feet and weighed hundreds of pounds.

Giant squid can grow upward of 50 and 60 feet and weigh up to a ton, according to researchers.

The tentacles of Wednesday’s catch, which were as thick as a human leg, were mostly gone and its eyes and several body parts were missing.

"Maybe a shark or sperm whale attacked it," speculated NOAA oceanographer Ken Baltz, who works with Field.

The squid had likely died within the past day or two, Baltz said.

Coastal Commissioner Steve Blank is a Democrat appointed to the commission by Governor Schwarzenegger, reports the Capitol Weekly. He opposed the toll road through a state park—a position that cost Clint Eastwood and Bobby Shriver, the governor’s brother in law, their seats on the State Parks Commission. He’s also a Coastsider, with a home across Highway 1 from Año Nuevo.

"The biggest misperception is that nobody understands that it’s zoning. It’s not that you’ve lost property rights, it’s just that zoning differs (in the coastal zone). It’s unlike any other place in the world. This is because 75 percent of the population lives within 25 miles of the coast, but it is still among the most pristine coasts in the world," Blank said. "You share the coast with 38 million people."

Using his own money—and before he had a lot of it—he purchased land from the state conservancy by mortgaging his home, and has since placed protections on that land, such as leasing it back to sustainable farmers of $1 a year. "His personal goal is to protect the land and keep it wild, but accessible to visitors so they can appreciate it and learn from it," said Kassy Perry, a media consultant who has worked with Blank.

He and his wife –a Stanford business professor and who specializes in nonprofits—also donated $500,000 to the state-of-the-art Marine Education Center at Año Nuevo. The $3.2 million facility opened this month with a symbolic "kelp cutting" ceremony with donors and state officials that included state parks director Ruth Coleman, who lauded Blank. Without Blank’s "determination, vision and cash, this center would still be a dream trapped in the middle of two historic, but dilapidated barns."

While walking to a favorite ocean view spot near Roosevelt beach on Thursday, I passed three large tour buses parked at Dunes beach.  I didn’t think too much about it until a large number of people, mostly in their 20’s and 30’s, crested a nearby dune and walked toward me.  They set about removing non-native vegetation with considerable energy.  Many wore identical t-shirts.  Later, in the parking lot I learned they were part of a group of 130 Google employees.  This week there is a large Google volunteer effort facilitated by Hands on Bay Area.  Beth Crites, the coordinator, said that some 1,800 employees are contributed time at 27 project sites around the Bay Area.  This work was coordinated with the local state parks unit.

I’ll bet that you or someone you know have a tire or two in the yard or garage that you’ve wanted to get rid of for years. You’ll have the chance on Saturday June 21st, from 9am to 1pm at the Pescadero Transfer Station on Bean Hollow Rd.

In an effort to get green, and because grants have been made available, San Mateo County has hired a permitted hauler to pick up our unwanted tires of any size - with or without rims. Best part, the hauler plans on reusing and recycling as much as possible.

The last event in HMB actually rescued over 800 tires!! If you can’t make it to Pescadero on the 21st, there will be similar events in the near future. I’ll keep you posted.

A couple dozen kids aged six to twelve helped volunteers remove non-native invasive plants from the land near a wetlands restoration site Wednesday.

The children, from the Coastside Children’s Program at Farallone View Elementary, broke up into teams. Each team was equipped with adult volunteers, its own biologist, and photos of the invasive species. They removed the intruding plants from perimeter of the wetland mitigation site created by the Caltrans Devil’s Slide Tunnel project.

When they were finished, the kids enjoyed a picnic lunch on Montara Beach provided by the Ritz.

To Whom it may concern and the GGNRA Board Members,

It is my intention to speak out for future generations as I write you today. We are requesting you leave Rancho Corral de Tierra as pristine and untouched, after you complete the transfer of ownership from POST, as the explorers that first discovered it .

In the past, I have been a proud supporter and financial contributer in helping the GGNRA’s Board Members realize their visions for such areas as Fort Point, Morri Point, Sweeny and Milagra Ridges for the recreational use by their respective communities’ members and their visitors. You should be commended on the implementation of those visions and are rightfully deserving of those accolades. What I am most proud of is the Board’s ability to preserve and restore the topography to it’s natural balance. In Rancho Corral de Tierra’s case, that would mean removing the Pampas Grasses Cal-Trans planted decades ago to prevent soil erosion when building Highway One through Mount Montara. It does not mean removing the horses, building outhouses and concessions, but restoring and leaving the area as undisturbed as it has remained through the millenniums.

In short, this is a historic piece of land that needs to be respected and preserved by it’s visitors and by it’s stewards. It is for these reasons that I humbly beseech the Board to leave this land to the future explorers and to their discoveries whether they are made on foot, horse or bicycle.  The smaller your foot print the mightier your legacy will be to the people of the community, state, countrymen and those whom venture around our planet visiting our pristine slice of heaven the Spanish explorers named Rancho Corral de Tierra.

Please help us keep Rancho Corral de Tierra the precious gem it is, and make it one of the crown jewels of the GGNRA legacy, not some sort of tourist trap.

Thank you for helping us. I look forward to speaking with you further at the June 17 Open House you are hosting in Woodside.
Joel Colletti
Montara