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Mountain House FREE Monthly
June/July 2015 Volume 4 • Number 6
Communications Building Community Bridges
Water Issue Reprieve With Alternative Source Found By Bryan Harrison
Mountain House, CA - An alternative emergency water source has been identified and an agreement to secure a transfer is being worked out to ease concerns surrounding the potential cutoff of water here.
With regional and even national media attention fanning the flames, fears of the bedroom community of 15,000 people in Mountain House running out of water reached a fever pitch in the past couple of weeks. The California State Water Resources Control Board (CSWRCB) issued a curtailment order June 12, 2015 to the Byron Bethany Irrigation District (BBID), among other "pre-1914" water rights holders, to cease drawing water from their resources. BBID is the sole source of water for the community of Mountain House.
At a Special Meeting held Monday, June 22, the MH Community Services District (CSD) Board voted to autho-
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rize General Manager Ed Pattison to indemnify BBID for any fines or fees they might incur in order to keep the provider from turning off the spiget at midnight that night. "There are risks with everything," Pattison told reporters. "You just have to weigh which risks you take."
The CSD also took the precautionary measure of filling to capacity water tanks at the Mountain House Water Treatment facility, which Pattison said would carry the town through for up to a week if and as needed. Word got out that the South San Joaquin Irrigation District Board of Directors, another "pre-1914" water rights holder, had storage volume sufficient to spare and had expressed interest in working a deal with Mountain House to transfer the precious resource. "Pre-1914" senior water rights, which are designed to provide property rights protection for those older districts have,
MH GM Ed Pattison talks with local and regional reporters following the June 22 Special Meeting.
until now, been considered golden. Pre1914 rights holders, including BBID, are now maintaining that the State Water Board had no right to order them to curtail what they assert is clearly within their legal rights - that is, diverting water for irrigation and/or public use. This issue is only just beginning, as law suits from various districts have already been filed against the State Water Resources Control Board. The MH Community Services District is asking residents to go to outdoor irrigation two (2) days/week at this point. So far, that is voluntary, but will in all likelihood become mandatory at the July 8th CSD Board meeting.
Pattison stated June 25 that an agreement between MH and SSJID is being developed to provide necessary water supplies to get Mountain House through the remainder of the year. Details of that agreement are yet to be announced, as of press time.
The SSJID Board, along with GM Jeff Shields, above right, met in open session June 23rd before the board voted in closed session to negotiate a deal to provide MH with water through the end of the year.
Town Hall Format Provides Forum for Direct Community Communication By Bryan Harrison
Mountain House residents were provided a good opportunity to interact directly with community and county officials at a "town hall" meeting held at the Community Services District board room Tuesday, June 16, 2015. Organized by the CSD's Angel Lamb, and hosted by General Manager Edwin Pattison, the
Much of the more than two and a half hours featured explanation and discussion of police protection services within Mountain House from San Joaquin County Sheriff, Steve Moore. Addition-
A packed house came out for a town hall style meeting held at the CSD Board Room June 16, 2015.
Town Hall format proved a refreshing shift from the previous Community Meeting-style approach. Residents had direct voice at the podium throughout the meeting to ask questions and provide local insights and perspective to officials.
ally, new MH Fire Chief Paul Tualla was on-hand, and GM Pattison provided an update and reassurances about the water crisis. In the wake of recent upticks in crime, from break-ins to a rash continued page 4
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