RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - A myriad of thorny topics about water and development were considered when the Rancho Murieta Community Services District Improvements Committee met on Aug. 7.

The topics included a warning about putting a moratorium on development, the donation of a subdivision to the Sacramento Tree Foundation, concerns about the Rio Oso Water Tank’s capacity to support new development, complaints about an earthy taste in the drinking water, a potential water meter system that could detect leaks and using Clementia Reservoir as a drinking water source.

Interim Operations Manager Travis Bohannon also updated the board about repairs to a critical pipeline that transfers raw water from the Cosumnes River to Calero Reservoirs. (See the separate story on Page 1.)

The Improvements Committee, consisting of two board members, Randy Jenco and Martin Pohll, both engineers; along with Bohannon, General Manager Mimi Morris and other staff members, focuses on infrastructure issues and makes recommendations to the full board. The district’s contract engineer, Joe Domenichelli, also attended the August meeting.

Moratorium

Audience member Jeff Berkheimer, who is the electric utility director for the City of Lodi, said he wanted to provide a different public comment on development. He said current anti-development sentiments circulating in the community don’t represent everyone. 

“I think we need additional development to support the businesses in this area, to support the fixed costs for maintaining our infrastructure, and to support the country club,” he said.

Berkheimer said he was taken aback when he read that a district director (Stephen Booth) called for a building moratorium at a recent board meeting. He emphasized that a service district should only consider halting development after all other options have been thoroughly explored. 

“As a ratepayer, and as someone who would be on the hook for any financial liability that might come from the impending lawsuits to that action, I would strongly encourage you to listen to outside counsel advice,” he said.

Berkheimer didn’t address a petition demanding that the board implement a moratorium being circulated by Save Our Lakes & Open Spaces (SOLOS) and its Vice-President John Merchant. As of Aug. 18, 1,251 residents had signed the petition.

Lakeview Development

Some surprising news about the Lakeview subdivision at the end of Colbert Drive came up in the context of a report by General Manager Morris. It summarized development in five subdivisions: The Retreats, Riverview, Residences of Murieta Hills, Lakeview and Murieta Gardens II, all of which have already been approved by Sacramento County.

Her report listed 599 lots inside the five developments, with 192 lots already connected to water, 307 lots that are still planned and 99 lots that will not be developed.

Morris reported that Reynen & Bardis Homes, which is developing Riverview, decided not to proceed with the Lakeview subdivision due to soil issues. She mentioned that the property was in the process of being transferred to the Sacramento Tree Foundation. This information surprised board member Randy Jenco, who indicated that this was new to him.

Morris said that the district’s former counsel, Andrew Ramos, had responded to questions from the Sacramento Tree Foundation before his departure. While a finalized agreement to transfer the Lakeview property hasn’t been completed, the developers are now inquiring about what is required to secure a single water connection. Morris also noted that an outstanding obligation from the 670 Financial Services Agreement (FSA) needs to be addressed before proceeding.

Rio Oso Tank

The issue of whether the Rio Oso Tank has sufficient capacity to serve the Residences subdivision, which is currently under construction, was first raised during the June Improvements Committee meeting. The challenge in determining the tank’s capacity stems from the absence of flow meters, which are necessary to provide the required data. However, one of the consultants preparing the Integrated Water Master Plan has developed a hydraulic model of the district’s water distribution system, which has been helpful, according to engineer Joe Domenichelli.

Bohannon told the committee that Domenichelli and his team had found a flow meter they could strap to piping outside the tank so they could measure the effluent going in. 

“Then we can do math calculations for the amount the tank is dropping within a certain period of time to get an idea of what’s coming into the tank and what is going out (at high usage periods),” he said.

Domenichelli reported that the highly accurate flow meter, expected to arrive in about two weeks at a cost of approximately $6,000, would be installed with minimal expense. The meter includes a data recorder with a chip that can be connected to a computer, enabling detailed analysis. Domenichelli anticipated having “real information” by the end of the month, although results could depend on weather conditions. He noted that July’s extreme heat wave led to significant drops in tank levels, repeatedly triggering alarms.

During audience comments, Residences developer Bob Keil proposed implementing a schedule for users of the Rio Oso Tank to stagger irrigation times. His suggestion was to have only half of the users irrigate at any given time, which could help manage water usage more effectively and prevent dramatic drops in tank levels during peak periods.

Another agenda item was about authorizing a comprehensive study of the entire water distribution system including the Van Vleck tank, but no action was taken.

Earthy Water

Bohannon reported that the district had received complaints about an earthy taste in the water, primarily from residents on Lago, Pera and Guadalupe. He attributed the issue to the high heat, clarifying that it was only an aesthetic concern and that the water was safe to drink. To address the problem, workers are adding carbon to the water at Plant 2 and flushing the lines. The district has also posted notices on its website and Facebook page to inform the community. 

Leak Detection

Morris said as she has reported at prior meetings, the district has an ongoing issue with problematic meter readings.

“We have a crazy quilt of different types of meters out there, most of which are only readable through drive-by truck visits to pick up the data.”

Morris said staff has evaluated two systems capable of electronically collecting data via a base receiver and information antenna. However, both systems would require upgrades to the existing water meters to enable remote reading. These upgrades would enhance the district’s ability to monitor water usage and manage resources more efficiently.

Morris noted that one of the vendors offers meters with unique ultrasonic acoustic leak detection technology, which can precisely identify small, often undetected leaks that can persist for years. While large leaks that create noticeable water loss are quickly repaired, these smaller leaks can be more costly over time. Data from December 2022 indicated that water leakage in the community amounts to about 200 acre-feet per year, representing roughly 12% of the total water needed by the community.

The investment in the new meters and data collection infrastructure is estimated to cost about $1.2 million. However, the staff has applied for a grant from the Bureau of Reclamation, which could cover half of the expense. Morris recommended that staff move forward on evaluating the cost and the possibility of a grant. Jenco and Pohll agreed with her recommendation to proceed with this plan.

Clementia Reservoir

During public comments, Keil inquired about efforts to explore the process, cost and time that it would take to convert Clementia into an emergency water storage facility.

Morris explained that she had recently communicated with the district’s water rights expert, who confirmed that the district is still in the queue with the state for the renewal of all its water rights. She mentioned that there are two potential paths to gaining permission to use Clementia Reservoir for emergency water storage, but it would take some time to obtain approval. The issue had not been prioritized because the Integrated Water Master Plan was not yet finalized and due to community opposition to the potential use of Clementia.

Morris pointed out that the district is not authorized to use all of Clementia Reservoir as an emergency water supply. The district can only utilize water that has been pumped into the reservoir from the river, not water from drainage. This distinction is crucial as it limits the potential use of Clementia for emergency purposes. Morris said she would bring more information about the status of the permit process to the next meeting. 

Another related topic discussed was the proposal to conduct a bathymetric survey of Clementia Reservoir to determine its water capacity, following a request by Director Linda Butler. Previous surveys had revealed that both Calero and Chesbro Reservoirs held less water than previously assumed. After Bohannon reported the estimated cost would be $28,000, Jenco and Pohll deemed the expense too high to justify further action. Jenco also noted that the overall size of Clementia was less relevant since only the water pumped in could be used for emergency purposes.

Morris also addressed a request from former board member John Merchant, who suggested excluding Clementia from the district’s raw water storage calculation because he said it overstated the available potable water supply. Morris reported that the staff disagreed with this assessment and recommended not removing Clementia from the report. Jenco and Pohll concurred, stating that the report was simply a numerical representation and that no changes were necessary.