Winter water usage up in Pine Cove: Likely customer leaks due to low temperatures

January water production was up in the Pine Cove Water District compared to January 2018, General Manager Jerry Holldber told the board at its Feb. 13 meeting.
“The January production was a little more water than the last couple of years,” he said. “There have been a few leaks for people [customers], not us.”
He noted that system demand was unusually high last month. “The normal winter demand is about 40 to 45 gallons per minute during the week. Last month, it was up to 76 gpm, which is a low summer reading, and around 64 for several days.”
The district has plenty of water, he assured the board. The groundwater level of the PCWD monitoring well remained level in January. The last drop was in November.
In other business, some customers have expressed reluctance and some concern about responding to the income survey, which the district has contracted with a private firm to conduct.
“They don’t feel comfortable and don’t want the information public,” Holldber reported. “But it doesn’t go to us, just the contractor.” PCWD will not receive any information on individuals. Its purpose is to summarize the income situation of district customers collectively.
If the results show that Pine Cove’s average household income is lower that the county average, the district’s eligibility for state and federal grants may increase, as well as potentially reducing fees for state water inspections and permits.
“Even without grants, that could pay for the study within three years,” he said.
The loan for the property on Franklin Drive will be paid off in March, Holldber said. At the January discussion approving the early pay-off, he indicated this could save PCWD between $4,000 and $5,000 over the loan’s life.
Before the meeting ended, Holldber discussed a verbal threat to the district’s water supply. He had spoken to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The person was arrested, but has been released. But the district has secured a restraining order to keep the individual away from district facilities and staff, and it has been served, he added.