Mesa Consolidated Water District Response to the Grand Jury Report, Water*

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customers in understanding weather-based irrigation practices by: Providing a hotline for assisting the public with landscape irrigation information Providing a countywide soil texture map on the MWDOC website Developing an Orange County specific water calculator on the MWDOC website

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a, b, and c Response: The recommendations will not be implemented. There are many ways to effectively implement conservation. TRUDY OHLIG-HALL Examples include water use Vice President efficiency programs, recycling water, rebate programs, education programs, etc. Each Division III area that is served water, whether by a city or a special district, is unique. Different PAUL E. SHOENBERGER Vice President methods and techniques to conserve that would be suitable for one area may not work Division II in another area. Mesa's flat rate of $2.17 per unit ($2.50 proposed for implementation as of September 1, 2008) can be a more effective conservation tool than a tiered rate structure that starts at a very low rate, usually subsidized by the higher penalty tiers, and LEE PEARL General Manager increases with water usage. A tiered structure does not provide customers with the true COLEEN L. MONTELEONE cost of water. With its current rate structure Mesa residential customer's per capita District Secretary usage is 93.3 gallons per day and has continued to decrease on an annual basis since VICTORIA L. BEATLEY 2001, as reported on the California Urban Water Conservation Council's Best Treasurer / Auditor Management Practices bi-annual reports. BOWIE, ARNESON, WILES & GIANNONE Legal Counsel Mesa currently has established water budgets for dedicated irrigation accounts and may consider tiered rates for irrigation meters in the future. Mesa has always prided itself on its efforts to educate and motivate its customers on water topics including conservation. Mesa has a comprehensive conservation program of education, incentives, and other measures, including working with other public agencies to reduce water usage. Respectfully submitted, ames F. Atkinson President Board of Directors Grand Jury Foreman c: Mesa Board of Directors Lee Pearl, General Manager P.O. Box 5008 Telephone (949) 631-1200 ♦ FAX (949) 574-1036 www.mesawater.org