Download pdf - Water Replenishment District of Southern California

MEMORANDUM
DATE: MAY 4, 2012
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
INTERESTED PARTIES
ROBB WHITAKER, GENERAL MANAGER
UPDATED 2012 ENGINEERING SURVEY AND REPORT
The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (“WRD” or “District”) is the
groundwater management agency responsible for safe and reliable groundwater in the Central
Basin and West Coast Basin in southern coastal Los Angeles County. Groundwater constitutes
nearly 40% of the total water demand used by the 4 million residents and businesses in the 43
cities in the WRD service area.
On March 16, 2012, WRD completed an Engineering Survey and Report (“ESR”) as required by
the California Water Code (Section 60300) to present information on the past, current, and
anticipated future conditions in the two groundwater basins. Information is presented on
groundwater pumping, groundwater conditions (water levels, overdraft, changes in storage),
projects related to groundwater supply and quality, and the amount, sources, and cost of
replenishment water needed to replace the pumping overdraft.
According to Water Code Section 60305, the ESR must be completed by March of each year.
But the annual Replenishment Assessment (“RA”) assessed on groundwater production is not
required to be set until May. Therefore, new and updated information is often received in the
months between the initial ESR in March and the setting of the RA in May. To document these
changes, the District publishes an updated ESR following adoption of the RA. This May 4, 2012
ESR updates and replaces the earlier March 16, 2012 report and contains the latest information
on replenishment water sources and costs within the District.
For example, on May 4, 2012, the WRD Board of Directors set the 2012/2013 RA at $244 per
acre foot (AF) of groundwater pumped. This rate will go into effect July 1, 2012 and will last
through June 30, 2013. This is a 0% increase from the current rate, which is also $244/AF. The
Board of Directors was able to maintain a flat RA even though the cost of replenishment water to
WRD is increasing. This was accomplished by reducing and deferring projects, programs and
administrative costs, and by reducing the amount of imported spreading water to purchase by
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