Residents of Ramona’s Acres community are working with local officials and a nonprofit on an application for a $1.32 million grant that would give them better access to clean water.
The funds would pay for new water main pipelines for the community, which has contaminated well water and inadequate pipes.
Toby Roy, a specialist with the nonprofit Rural Community Assistance Corporation, provided an update on the application process at the Dec. 14 Ramona Municipal Water District meeting.
Roy said more than 80 percent of the well samples in the neighborhood have nitrate or uranium concentrations over the drinking water standards. Of the 10 wells that were tested, the water from eight exceeded the nitrate standard and the water from nine exceeded the uranium standard.
“If it’s above the drinking water standard it’s considered not safe to drink,” Roy said outside of the meeting.
Some residents of the community near the Ramona Airport have connected to the water district’s water supply with small “spaghetti lines,” which are commonly built with 2-inch PVC pipe but frequently break, she said.
The Rural Community Assistance Corporation, which provides technical assistance to rural communities for water and wastewater utilities, is helping Acres residents tap into funding from the California Department of Water Resources. Funds are available through the state Water Resources Control Board’s SAFER program, which stands for Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience.
“That program provides funding for stakeholder outreach, feasibility studies, developing plans and specifications, environmental documentation and helping with future grant applications,” Roy said, explaining that the Acres qualifies as a disadvantaged community. “It takes a project through the planning and design process and sets it up for the next step, which is construction.”
Water District President Jim Hickle said new water infrastructure is needed to supply safe, potable water to property owners who are using private wells in the Acres.
Water lines were not installed in several areas of Ramona, including parts of the Acres, mainly due to the high cost of extending a water main and providing the connection, Hickle said.
“Subsequently, many members within our service district rely strictly on well water for their potable water supply,” he said.
Roy said excessive nitrates pose a short-term health risk, particularly for infants less than 6 months old and pregnant women. Uranium above the drinking water standards pose long-term health risks associated with increased risk of cancer and kidney problems, she said.
In April, her organization distributed detailed information about the risks in a fact sheet to Acres residents with private wells, spaghetti lines and those with septic tanks.
Michael Bailey, an Acres resident, said at the meeting that he has been trying since February 2019 to get help in improving access to clean water in the community.
Bailey said his family has used well water for the 32 years they have lived in the Acres, but in the past five years he and his neighbors noticed the water quality was rapidly getting worse.
“I think the problem extends further than our area,” he told the water district directors. “Getting everyone in the same room and talking about this is a huge step forward.”
Acres resident Robert Sparks said he used well water until the quality of the water deteriorated. He is now connected to a water source with spaghetti lines but has experienced multiple leaks.
Roy said a small group of Acres residents, water district staff and the RCAC have come together in the last year and a half to discuss a way to connect Acres residents to the district’s water supply. Grant funding was the solution because current water district ratepayers cannot be charged to bring on new customers, she said.
The project was selected to be a part of an application package by the San Diego Integrated Regional Water Management Program. The application will be submitted to the Department of Water Resources in mid-January and approval could be as soon as March.
The next step will be a feasibility study and possibly pursuing additional state funding. Construction could begin in early 2024. Roy said the RCAC can lead the engineering work, but the water district needs to take the lead on the construction project.
In other action at the meeting, water district directors unanimously agreed to take the next steps needed to transfer its oversight of fire and emergency medical services to the San Diego County Fire Protection District.
The final move to transfer authority requires approval by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), which oversees the creation and expansion of cities and special districts in California counties. LAFCOs exercise regulatory and planning powers to coordinate publicly provided services, such as emergency services, and match them with community needs.
Craig Schmollinger, the water district’s acting general manager, will submit an application to LAFCO requesting the transfer of authority, which could involve further analysis and a future hearing. If approved, the transfer could go into effect as early as July 1, 2022.
In October, LAFCO recommended that the Ramona water district consider a voluntary transfer of its emergency services to the county as a way to improve services by increasing staffing from two to three personnel on fire engines at Ramona Fire Stations 81 and 81 without raising costs for ratepayers.
The action could also pave the way for adding a third ambulance in Ramona with two additional firefighter/paramedic staff.
The proposal to transfer authority was based on a recommendation by a three-person water district ad hoc subcommittee.
[ad_2]
Originally Appeared Here