Rainbow Municipal Water District

The recent Lilac fire is only the most recent of the wildfires to affect our area.   We have dealt with fires in the past but they seem to be more frequent, and due to increasing population, more damaging to property.   Our heartfelt thanks go out to the firefighters and first responders who came from as far away as Alaska to help get the Lilac Fire under control.

In our August newsletter, we described some of the factors that cause RMWD’s rates to be different than other areas. We got some excellent feedback from those who read the newsletter and we appreciate all your comments. As the new year approaches, so do increases in water costs, so the RMWD Board along with the Budget and Finance Committee are now working on our new rates for 2018 and beyond. We wish we could tell you rates are going down, but alas they are not. This month we will focus a bit on why our rates always seem to be going up.

In recognition of quality leadership and accountability the District was presented the Special District Leadership Foundation’s District Transparency Certificate of Excellence (DTCE).  The Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) created this program in an effort to promote transparency in the operations and governance of special districts to the public and to provide special districts with…

State Bill 623 called the “Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund” addresses a very serious subject of ensuring safe drinking water for disadvantaged communities.  However, requiring public water systems to collect fees from its stakeholders is not the solution.  While the District agrees with the goal of assisting disadvantaged communities that do not have safe drinking water, SB 623 has several…

What Makes My Water Bill So High? We get this question a lot: “My friend in Temecula (or San Diego, or any other urban area) has a water bill that is lower than mine. Why are RMWD’s fixed water fees higher than theirs?” It is a valid question for which there is no simple answer. Here are some of the reasons our rate structure is different than other areas:

In May 2017, a delegation from Rainbow MWD joined some of our local government representatives at the California Special District Association’s Legislative Days event in Sacramento. The annual event allows numerous opportunities to provide first-hand information to our legislators about the topics that directly affect our ratepayers with an emphasis on reducing some of the burdensome regulations related to water supply. It is also a great avenue to meet with some of California’s legislators in person as well as network with peers as pictured below.

When we flip on the light switch we expect the lights to come on. The same is true when we turn on our faucets. We become accustomed to water immediately flowing from the kitchen sink or hose bib when we turn it on and can become frustrated when it doesn’t have the expected outcome. The simple act of turning on a faucet or switching on a light and always getting the desired result requires a great deal of complex infrastructure to work together time and time again.

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) honored Rainbow Municipal Water District this past April with their Certificate of Recognition for Budget Preparation for the District’s 2017 budget.  This is the first year the District has received this prestigious award, which is a monumental accomplishment and one of the District’s annual objectives in our strategic plan for achieving fiscal accountability.

The Rainbow Municipal Water District’s (RMWD) Morro Reservoir Rehabilitation Project (2010-2012), performed by Hilts Consulting Group of Yorba Linda, CA, was selected for the inaugural Fabricated Geomembrane Engineering Innovation Award in 2016. The award was presented by the Fabricated Geomembrane Institute at the University of Illinois at its annual membership meeting in Miami Beach, Florida, in early May of last year. The award is given to recognize engineers who have creatively used fabricated geomembranes to successfully fulfill a client’s need, including technical, scheduling and budget requirements.

The Moosa Crest pipeline is a 16-inch water transmission pipeline that was originally installed in 1960 and runs north to south perpendicular to Camino Del Rey, crossing Moosa Creek above the water line. The previous rains in January undermined one to the supports which subsequently failed and became submerged under Moosa Creek as seen in the pictures below. The pipeline was not damaged in this event but while District staff was preparing to replace the support, the massive storm that occurred on Monday, February 27, 2017, significantly increased in flow in Moosa Creek causing tree debris to severely damage the pipe.

On January 26, 2017, San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) Board of Directors met to discuss the current Statewide Drought Emergency Regulations. After considerable deliberation, the Board determined that maintaining a statewide drought emergency while our County has no water supply shortage undermines our credibility with our customers and will dilute our ability to respond to actual water supply shortages in the future. Further, by incorrectly communicating the status of our water supplies, we degrade our ability to attract, retain and expand businesses. The fact is that our region has developed a drought-resilient supply and never had a supply shortage through the entire drought period.

Each May, North County Water Agencies (NCWA) recognizes “National Drinking Water Awareness Month” by partnering in a Drinking Water Awareness Poster Contest for elementary age students. This year we are commemorating 25 years of community involvement and education in water conservation and drought conditions and the ongoing impact on our local communities.