Stopping Those Leaks!

This is ‘Stop a Leak’ month and JBWD has a very cool demonstration at our Farmer’a Market booth. Using an old IV bag, we clearly show that it does not take long for a little drip to add up to a significant, and costly, water loss.

A few weeks ago I had a leak. I quickly discovered that knowing you have a leak and finding it so it can be repaired are two very different, and sometimes very expensive, things. 

After a couple of failed attempts to find it ourselves, I called a local leak detection company. They walked around a bit and then decided that the best way to locate the leak would be with compressed air. 

Now, never having had a leak before, I was truly ignorant. But I quickly learned that putting compressed air through 60-year-old galvanized steel pipes is not a good idea. You can only imagine what more than a half century of rust and other debris released into a water system can do. One toilet stopped working immediately, the water heater began making terrible clanging noises, and what was coming out of my faucets wasn’t pretty. In addition, all that debris temporarily sealed the leak so now there was nothing to find. 

Of course, it wasn’t long until the leak resurfaced. So how did we finally find it? I called a friend in construction who noticed a damp spot a few feet from my meter. A little digging revealed that the ancient main line was riddled with tiny holes and needed to be replaced.  A week later, with more drama than I would have liked and most of the week without running water, it was repaired. 

Am I back to normal? Not yet. The fill valve in the toilet has clogged again and the water heater continues to sound like a medieval torture chamber. But as a veteran of the water leak wars, I can offer some advice.

First, leaks are expensive and you don’t want to wait until you get a $600 bill from JBWD to know you have one. I now check my water meter on a regular basis. It’s easy and if you don’t know how, we can show you at our booth. Just make sure the water in the house and yard is off. Then if the little arrow is moving, water is escaping somewhere. The faster it’s spinning, the bigger the leak.

You might also consider turning off your water at the meter when you’re leaving town for more than a couple of days. Just be aware if you have an ice maker or an irrigation system, to turn those off, too.

For other ideas or to get some free septic-tank safe tablets to identify leaking toilets, come by our booth at Farmers Market. Put one of these tablets in your toilet’s water tank, wait 15 minutes and if the water in the toilet bowl turns blue, it’s leaking.

Thanks for your help in conserving our precious water.

JBWD's Strategic Plan Update

Our strategic planning workshop was impressive. While yesterday's focus was the Board and our goals, it also included the management staff. 

That led to a few interesting moments, such as when a board member expressed concern over a maintenance issue and the field guys couldn't believe we didn’t know it had already been addressed. Amazing, isn't it, how often it all boils down to communication?

Martin Rauch was our facilitator. Developing strategic plans with districts like ours is his specialty. He actually knows us well after guiding us through a very comprehensive evaluation of the General Manager. In my mind, this was a natural next step and he not only met, but exceeded, my expectations.

For the strategic plan, Martin focused on the Board's priorities and what each of us felt were the most important issues to address. 

All that preparation really paid off. The day was comprehensive, well-organized, and extremely productive. We also reached our goals in record time!

But no matter how good a plan is, it must be implemented. Today Martin is working with management on a work plan that will achieve the Board's goals, including specific steps, due dates and accountability. 

As I said, pretty impressive. 

JBWD Drip Irrigation Workshop

Thanks to the tireless efforts of our Conservation Coordinator, Deb Bollinger, Joshua Basin recently hosted a drip-irrigation workshop presented by RainBird.

Held at the Joshua Tree Community Center, the event drew 38 locals eager to learn about drip irrigation and how it can help them save water. 

Attendees even got a hands-on experience of putting the devices together.

The event was so successful that we're already thinking about a repeat!

What is Ordinance 97?

Last month I talked about the Court's ruling on the wells drilled by Dr. Robert Ellis. This spurred a request for more information on Ordinance 97.


This ordinance was adopted under authority of state law AB3030 to manage and protect the District's ground water. It adopts rules and regulations to implement and enforce Joshua Basin Water District's Ground Water Management Plan and includes the following major provisions:

1)      Regulates the construction, abandonment, and destruction of wells

a.    Requires permits for all well construction and destruction.

b.    Prohibits new wells over 25gpm* capacity within ¼ mile of an existing well without a hydrology report. That report must demonstrate that the new well will not have an adverse effect upon any existing  wells within the ¼ mile, or on a recharge area.

c.    Requires a well completion report after construction or destruction of a well.

d.    Requires operator to permit the District to install, operate, access and maintain, at District expense, a water flow meter on each well.

2)      Identifies recharge protection and wellhead protection areas

3)     Regulates contaminated ground water migration (through regulation of well demolition)

4)     Mitigates overdraft by prohibiting water exportation or transfer to another parcel other than where the well is located without approval of JBWD

5)     Monitors ground water levels, storage, and quality

*Gallons per minute

JBWD wins judgment in Robert Ellis case

Joshua Tree, CA.   Today Judge Frank Gafkowski, Jr., handed down a 'Statement of Decision' in what has been a long-standing dispute  between the Joshua Basin Water District (JBWD)  and  land owner, Dr. Robert Ellis, over the District’s monitoring rights of the community’s sole water source. Based on an ordinance passed in 1997, the judicial ruling onThursday clarifies the steps required for Ellis to drill and maintain his own private wells that tap into the Joshua Basin Aquifer. Ellis accesses Joshua Tree’s aquifer through four of his five wells. 

According to the ruling, based on the Ordinance and state law, Ellis must 

1. Obtain permits for each of his four operational wells from the JBWD authority
2. Allow meters to be attached to his wells by JBWD at the district’s expense
3. Allow monitoring of the water meters by JBWD and at the district’s expense
4. Allow the JBWD to take routine water samples for quality assurance testing
5. Allow the water district to have unhampered access to the wells during business hours under ordinance number 97-1.

Judge Gafkowski prefaced his ruling by noting, “It is common knowledge that the Joshua Basin Aquifer is in overdraft.”   He then stated,  “This is not a Taking Case” (a case of eminent domain) but “an effort to impose a permissible restriction on development.”  

Simply stated, this means that citizens may certainly own a private well for personal consumption but with 'a condition of permissible use.'   

By State law this is granted through the Ground Water Management Plan authority held by the Joshua Basin Water District as the stewards of their community’s water supply.  

It is the District's responsibility to maintain the underground aquifer and to monitor the water levels and its water quality for public safety.  This 'permit process' allows the Joshua Basin Water District to ensure that the ground water is properly managed for the short term and long term benefit of the community’s greater water supply while still respecting landowners’ water rights.

Ellis first challenged the District’s authority to monitor his wells in 2004.  According to District officials, these were the first private wells known by the District to be drilled after the 1997 Ordinance.  

They came to the District’s attention when Ellis announced  plans to develop a golf course resort on Sunfair Road in Joshua Tree.  Based on the well driller’s reports, the four completed wells would have the capacity to pump as much water as is used by the entire Joshua Basin Water District, potentially forcing a change in the way the District manages the aquifer. 

The District does not restrict the amount of water that can be “beneficially used” by Ellis on his property (not wasted), but for planning purposes, needs to know how much water is pumped out of the aquifer. 

Why recharge Joshua Tree's aquifer now?

Joshua Basin Water District (JBWD) covers 96 square miles. The district has 4500 active meters for about 8500 residents. 

Joshua Tree’s sole source of water comes from an underground aquifer that dates back to the Ice Age. 

While Joshua Tree residents are among the lowest water users in the state, every day JBWD pumps out over 1 ½ million gallons to serve its customers.

Joshua Basin’s water table is dropping about a foot a year. What rain water we do get is claimed by plants and evaporation.

The only water going back into the aquifer is septage from septic tanks. Septage increases nitrates. 

USGS said recently that the rising level of nitrates in our water is a concern. If we do not take action, in the future Joshua Tree’s water may need expensive treatment to meet drinking water standards. 

By recharging our aquifer now, we will not only offset nitrates, but also ensure the long-term reliability of our water supply.

Joshua Tree voters have approved recharge twice. In 1990 they voted in favor of the bond measure to build the Morongo pipeline. 

We have invested over $10 million in that pipeline so far and have yet to receive any water.

Most of the cost of extending the pipeline into Joshua Tree will come from grant money. The remainder is money that JBWD has invested as part of the required match funding.

Why I'm running for Water Board

For almost 40 years I have been proud to call Joshua Tree home. Now I am running for the Joshua Basin Water District board. As a long-term resident and small business owner, I want to ensure that our water district continues to protect our water supplies. It also must be fiscally-responsible and professionally managed.

I am a member of the Joshua Basin Water District Citizens’ Advisory Committee. I have studied water issues in our area and have worked closely with JBWD staff. Our community deserves and expects responsible management of water resources. We want reasonable rates and a customer-oriented, problem-solving administration and staff.

My goal as a board member is to continue the water board's tradition of strong professional leadership. We must work together to make sure that the District keeps its promises to our customers for generations to come.

As a member of the board, I will:
* Provide clean, affordable water to our customers.
We must work to continue the water district’s tradition of delivering high quality, clean water to the existing 5,500 connections.
* Protect our aquifer.
We need to ensure that future businesses and residents enjoy the same quality services that we enjoy today.
* Plan for Joshua Tree's future needs.
Prioritize replenishing groundwater in the aquifer to guarantee our supplies for the future. I believe we must take the steps now to protect our aquifer from over-drafting so that everyone has a reliable water supply, not just today, but for many years to come.
* Be fiscally responsible to ensure a strong, sustainable district.
The community has the resources and tools to keep JBWD strong and sustainable. We will need to make smart and sustainable decisions about water conservation and recycling to stretch our supplies.
* Treat all our customers fairly.
That includes setting fair rates, such as the tiered rates established in 2007, and requiring developers to pay the costs for the infrastructure for their projects. New developments cannot be allowed to impact the water supply of the district's existing customers nor should the rate payers of the district subsidize their developments.

As I have shown by my service as Chair of the Joshua Tree Municipal Advisory Council and as a member of the Joshua Basin Water District Citizens’ Advisory Committee, I am committed to improving the District’s relationship with its residents, and to continuing to conduct its responsibilities in accordance with high ethical standards.

On your Water District board, I will work with my fellow board members to keep your water costs affordable. Most importantly, I will provide leadership to protect and maintain a quality water supply and services.

Mickey