City Council tackles water improvements

Barbara Diamond

The City Council agenda Tuesday night was awash with water,

drainage and pollution policies, protection plans and water supplies.

But the usually high priority of water issues in the city wasn’t

reflected by the poor turnout for the hearings.

Four of the 12 public hearings related to water; a fifth hearing

and comments during public communications touched on it. Fewer than a

dozen people showed up for the meeting, only nine of them there for

the water hearings and three of those represented the Laguna Beach

County Water District.

Council actions

* Accepted a monthly Treasure Island report that included an

report of an employee sluicing down the sidewalks into the storm

drains with the diversion shut.

* Heard a complaint by a neighbor of Treasure Island that the

south end diversion is polluting her property and the beach.

* Heard a plea for assistance from a South Laguna couple onto

whose property a swimming pool is draining from another property.

They claim the pool owner did not install proper drainage. The

complaint is under investigation.

* Voted unanimously to authorize the Water Commission the right

to approve contracts up to $100,000 to run day-to-day business and to

execute contracts on behalf of the water district. The council also

voted to reduce the number of meetings from monthly to quarterly at

which the City Council sits as the district’s board of directors.

* Unanimously approved a Water Quality Strategic Plan.

* Voted 4-0 to approve the county’s Drainage Area Management Plan

and the city’s Water Quality Implementation Plans.

* Heard a report from the water district general manager on

supplies of potable water.

Water Sources

“Currently all of our water is imported from either the Colorado

River or from Northern California through the state water project,”

district General Manager Renae Hinchey told the council.

The district, she said, is pursuing new sources to make up for the

recent reductions in the Colorado River allotment.

“What is clear is that the challenge for reliable sources of water

continues,” Hinchey said. “We must continue to pursue a resource mix

of water supplies, every thing from resuming our ground water rights

to looking at advances in desalination. And, of course, our efforts

in water conservation must continue.”

The district has an annual, low-flow toilet give-away program;

rebates on water efficient washing machines; and will soon be

participating in a smart irrigation controller program to save water

and reduce runoff.

“We are also working with the city to offer a free series of

classes on water efficient landscaping that is being offered in March

and April through the city’s Recreation Department,” Hinchey

announced.

The district is also looking to technology to produce new sources,

including desalination -- the removal of salt from ocean water to

make it drinkable.

Hinchey said the search for water sources is not expected to

result in a drastic rate hike in the immediate future.

Strategic Plan

Although approved unanimously by the council with some revisions,

the strategic plan proposed by the staff fell short of some council

members’ expectations.

“This is not representative of what we can achieve,” said

Councilman Steven Dicterow. “I am working on an agenda item on this.

The present item is just a piece in a bigger puzzle.”

The council trimmed the piece by deleting reference to treatment

systems in the motion, to avoid running afoul of the Regional Water

Quality Control Board’s preference for the creation of wetlands and

by tabling a staff suggestion to move up a diversion at Main Beach on

the priority list.

“Based on recent action by the council to look at the flood

control project (down Broadway to Main Beach), how would the council

know where to put the diversion?” Councilman Wayne Baglin said. “If

we don’t know where to put it, we shouldn’t spend money on it.”

The council directed staff to continue with programs to control

the sources of pollution by increasing public awareness.

A consultant will be hired to study environmental restoration by

wetland systems to enhance water quality in the Laguna Canyon Channel

and Bluebird Canyon, at a cost of $12,000.

The urban runoff nuisance water diversion program was approved as

amended.

Assistant City Manager John Pietig said the city proposed to

construct a total of 19 diversions. When completed the diversions

would capture 54% of the runoff, according to staff. The remaining

runoff is from open space and doesn’t contribute to pollution,

according to City Engineer Steve May, director of public works.

Water Quality Implementation Plan

New state regulations require a local Water Quality Implementation

Plan. The city’s plan is based on a county template. The City Council

approved both for submittal to the regional board by the Feb. 13

deadline.

The council deleted a staff proposal from the local plan to

designate Laguna Canyon Channel from El Toro Road to the ocean as an

environmentally sensitive area.

Councilman Baglin said property owners should be notified of such

an intent before making the designation.

Treasure Island

Clean Water Now! founder von Butow reported to the city on Monday

a violation of the Treasure Island drainage agreement which requires

nuisance water to be diverted from the storm drains.

“It appears that a contractor or sub-contractor was just washing

stuff down into the storm drain,” City Manager Ken Frank said. “Maybe

he thought the diversion was turned on, but it wasn’t and everything

ran right down to the beach.

The incident is under investigation and probably will result in a

fine,” Frank said.

Loretta Corrigan, who owns property adjacent to the south end of

Treasure Island criticized the diversion there, which carries the

flow from the highway and the development above it.

“I was told that the first flush (first heavy rainfall) up to

three-quarters of an inch would be diverted into the sewer system,”

Corrigan said. “I find that is not so and a good bit is diverted onto

to my property. This not being a good neighbor.”

The diversion is designed to handle 10,000 gallons a day, in dry

weather, Frank said. It does not operate in heavy rain.

Von Butow said he had information that capacity was not sufficient

and asked if South Coast Water District General Manager Michael

Dunbar could be asked to report to the city.