Following a fairly short Fern Valley Water District (FVWD) Board of Directors meeting Friday where Director Kevin Scott (calling in from Germany) was attending for the first time, the directors held a special meeting to interview three candidates for Walt Bonneau Jr.’s vacant seat. Scott replaced Richard Schnetzer. Both Bonneau and Schnetzer sold their Fern Valley homes and moved off the Hill.
General Manager Victor Jimenez’s reported that customers consumed 882,272 cubic feet of water in May and June compared to 946,854 cubic feet in May and June 2021, down 6.82%.
Unaccounted-for water dropped from 21.7% between July 2020 and June 2021 to 14% between July 2021 and June 2022. Directors thanked Jimenez and staff for responding quickly to any reported leaks. In one instance, Jimenez said short-term rental owners were staying at the rental, saw a leak while out walking and reported it.
Director Jon Brown asked if all the customers’ water meters have been replaced and Jimenez said they had. Jimenez told the board that some of the unaccounted-for water is due to “inaccuracy of meters. No meter is 100%.”
Jimenez said the creeks are now dry so FVWD is relying on its wells. Brown asked if the timers have been installed on the wells and Jimenez confirmed they are. The purpose is to shut off pumps during peak hours to lower electricity costs.
In June 2022, FVWD relied on groundwater 40% of the time compared to 53% in June 2021. He said current demand is 85 gallons per minute.
Jimenez also reported that some of FVWD’s lines were installed in the early 1950s.
He gave a list of field staff operations in addition to their routine system operations. They included landscaping the office, removing problem trees from FVWD property and repairing minor leaks.
Administration staff’s additional operations included assisting field crew with leaks and working with the state engineer to finalize the annual electronic report.
After interviewing Dawn Finlayson, David Montgomery and Chrissie Teeling for Bonneau’s vacant seat, the board chose Teeling.
