MCCSD officially declares Stage 3 drought

MENDOCINO >> The Mendocino City Community Services District board declared a Stage 3 drought at its latest meeting, March 29. The district has recorded approximately 20.5 inches of rain for the year to date; this is the secondlowest recorded total in the past 100 years.

A Stage 3 drought includes the following mandates:

• 20% reduction in water usage of allotments

• Designated irrigation times and an irrigation audit for landscape maintenance.

• No vehicle washing except with a hand-held bucket or hose equipped with a positive shutoff nozzle

• Prohibition on refilling of decorative fountains or ponds unless such water is part of a recycling system.

• No refilling of hot tubs or swimming pools.

• Drinking water served at restaurants only upon request

• Recommended use of paper plates at restaurants to avoid dishwashing.

• A temporary moratorium on new groundwater extraction permits for new development, expansion of existing use, and changes of use, which require a hydrolog

ical study.

• Prohibitions on aquifer pump tests.

MCCSD will issue a warning for the first offense, and begin penalties for repeat offenders — $100 for the second offense and $250 for the third offense

The board also listened to a presentation on groundwater usage from 2014 through 2020 and announced the receipt of a public safety power shutoff grant for $112,000.

Depending on April’s rainfall, the district could implement a Stage 4 drought at its next meeting, April 26.

As of March 23, rainfall totals for the current rain year are approximately 43.5 percent of a normal year to date. MCCSD recorded 17.27 inches of rain year to date and 3.35 inches in March. Typically, the district would have 34.02 total inches by this time of year.

The average depth of

Mendocino’s water table on March 23 measured at 16.02, compared to 13.98 in March of 2020. The depth is the average distance from the surface of the earth to the water from 24 monitoring wells, where a lower number would indicate more water.

The district will review the situation at the April meeting and said it could declare a Stage 4 drought at that time.

Michael Maley, a consultant for TODD Groundwater, provided a report to the district on groundwater usage from October 2014 through September 2020. The report used data from meter reading and sewer inflows. Maley indicated that ninety percent of MCCSD customers have voluntarily cut water usage by 60 percent since the original groundwater reports were developed. This means that the vast majority are currently meeting water use restriction guidelines for a Stage 4 drought for this time of year. In summer only eighty percent have voluntarily cut water usage by 60 percent.

These numbers are likely attributed to the use of water-saving appliances and built-in water conservation from years of drought education and are consistent with averages in the state. Despite these reductions, Maley predicted that wells could go dry as early as mid-summer, depending on rainfall in April and May. The 2020-2021 rainfall numbers are similar to the historic drought of 1976-1977, he said.

Mendocino has received less water in 2020 than in 1976, and has received about one inch more than 1977.

MCCSD adopted a public records policy that defines which documents will be made available to the public and which are considered confidential. The following items will be available on the MCCSD website, public meeting agendas, approved public meeting minutes, approved balance sheets and income statements, superintendent reports, groundwater management reports, press releases, contact information, water conservation tips and the current audit report. Additionally, the district will make recorded public meetings available via YouTube.

The district applied for a grant from the California Office of Emergency Services in October and on March 12, was awarded $112,000 12. The funds will be used to purchase equipment that will better prepare the district for additional extended power outages. At this time, the board indicated it was considering using some funds to replace an aging generator and to purchase a backup generator.

During the extended outage in October 2019, the district shut down plant operations for several hours due to the inability to purchase diesel fuel. It has since purchased a backup tank to provide additional fuel as needed.

The next MCCSD meeting will be held April 26 via virtual web host. For more information, go to mccsd.com.