Building the Future:

Transcription

1 Building the Future: A New Era The 1980s marked the beginning of a new era for Eastern Municipal Water District. By 1980 the district had established its general boundaries as they exist today. The passage of Proposition 13 had nearly eliminated the use of improvement district bonds, the financing mechanism that had made water and sewer service available to so many communities. Most of Eastern s new service connections over the last 20 years have been for new construction; gone are the days of racing failing wells to provide drinking water to existing communities. The 1980s and 1990s have also been an era of increasing inter-agency cooperation. Neighboring water districts, regional and statewide organizations, and environmental interests have played an increasingly larger role in the planning, funding, construction, and operation of Eastern s facilities. Finally, recent decades have brought a change in how we look at water in California. A half-century ago when Eastern was founded, the characteristics of California water rights forced people to overuse water in order to protect their rights. Today, water is viewed as a resource to be conserved and managed, like oil or precious metals. Water has also become a commodity to be bought and sold. We now have the technology to recycle water through wastewater treatment processes, and to develop more groundwater supplies through desalination, making more fresh water available to all. Though local communities have grown in size, the basic need for water has not changed, nor has Eastern s commitment to provide it on an efficient, economical, and responsible basis. Northern California Water The completion of the State Water Project in 1973 brought northern California water to western Riverside County, but before that water could reach its customers, Eastern would have to do some construction of its own. During the 1970s Eastern engineers designed a completely new supply system for the entire district, only the Temecula area and a small corner of the district north of Gilman Hot Springs were not included. Some 92 miles of pipelines and 11 pumping stations were planned to carry northern California water from the Metropolitan Water District s facilities 161

2 162 throughout the northern three-quarters of Eastern s territory. The Temecula area would get its supply separately from Lake Skinner via the Rancho California Water District pipelines. According to the Hemet News: Objectives of the plan are to deliver high quality northern California water to the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley; to deliver treated northern California water for domestic purposes from Metropolitan Water District s H.B. Mills [treatment] plant to the City of Perris and the communities of Good Hope, Homeland, Lakeview, Nuevo, Sun City, Sunnymead and Winchester and into the Mead, Moreno, Menifee and Perris Valleys; the pumping plant in the Domenigoni Valley to be expanded and serve a blend of Colorado River and California State water to Domenigoni, French and Auld Valleys; Murrieta Hot Springs and Menifee Valley residents would be served domestic water from a connection with the MWD Lake Skinner [treatment] plant; state water at Lake Perris would be used north and easterly for agricultural use in Moreno Valley. A major pumping facility would be built in the area of MWD s aqueduct on Warren Road and Cottonwood Avenue to import water into the [San Jacinto] valley. When the integration program is completed, northern California water would replace all Colorado River water now being used for domestic purposes in the district. A blend of Colorado River water and northern California water would be used for agriculture in some areas. All new facilities to be built would be integrated in Eastern s present delivery systems so as to avoid obsolescence and duplication. None of the present lines will be retired; instead all will be used to the fullest to serve northern California water Costs for the first phase of the Northern California Integration Project were estimated at over $24 million. To help fund it, Eastern turned once again to the program it had helped to create, the Bureau of Reclamation s Small Projects Act. In 1979 a $17.7 million Small Projects loan was negotiated; the remaining $6.4 million would be funded by Eastern, largely through the EMWD Facilities Corporation.

3 For the public approval required, Eastern formed Improvement District D, which took in all of the territory that would benefit from the new system. On February 26, 1980, local voters approved the proposed Small Projects loan by a vote of 11,923 to 1,944. After the election, general manager Doyle Boen described it to reporters as one of my better days understandable coming as it did on the heels of the Proposition 13 anti-tax sentiment. Boen called it Eastern s most ambitious project since the original distribution system was designed in Construction began in Eastern tapped into Metropolitan s share of the northern California supplies at two new points: a five-mile pipeline brought water down to Moreno Valley from MWD s Henry J. Mills Treatment Plant on the eastern edge of Riverside, and a second major line left an MWD pipeline near Warren and Cottonwood to serve the San Jacinto Valley. At the same time, a special Congressional appropriation paid for a connection at Eastern s new pumping plant near Cactus and Heacock to serve March Air Force Base. Construction continued throughout the early 1980s on the necessary supply lines and pumping plants. In 1984 Eastern requested an additional $8.3 million Small Projects loan to extend northern California water to the southern portions of the district as far south as Auld Valley. By 1986, Eastern was getting 75 percent of its imported water from the State system. A third connection to Metropolitan s filtration plant at Lake Skinner was in operation by Even before construction on the Northern California Integration Project was complete, the rapid growth in Moreno Valley had already forced Eastern to enlarge its connection at the Henry J. Mills Filtration Plant in 1986 and again in There were two very important reasons that the district needed water from the north. First, there was an impending shortage of Colorado River water that would occur as Arizona began pumping from the river into its Central Arizona Project. Since its formation in 1950, Eastern s sole supply of supplemental water had been from the Colorado River Aqueduct. As time grew nearer for Arizona to begin taking its share of Colorado River water, the threat to Eastern s supply also grew. Second, water quality improvements were required. Over time, water quality had come under increased review of several federal and state agencies. New laws governing water quality were passed, setting minimum standards for water which public agencies such Local voters approved a $17.7 million Small Projects Act loan to begin connecting Eastern s system to the State Water Project in President Chester Gilbert and Roy D. Gear (seated, right) signed the $17.7 million Small Projects Act loan documents to begin connecting Eastern s system to the State Water Project. 163

4 as Eastern could serve. Untreated Colorado River water was failing to meet these standards, and environmental agencies had the power to impose sanctions and levy fines for non-compliance. Use of high quality northern California water, treated for domestic customers and untreated for irrigation use or re-charging underground basins, helped enable Eastern to comply with all these water quality standards. Planning had begun over a decade before Eastern received its first taste of State Project water. Prior to that time, the district s water consumers were using over 80 percent of their supplies for agricultural irrigation and 20 percent for domestic use. This was prior to the rapid growth that affected most of southern California in the late 1970s. Water from the State Water Project, fully treated for domestic use, was available at the Henry J. Mills Filtration Plant near Riverside, and at the Robert A. Skinner Filtration Plant located in the southern part of the district. High quality, untreated water from northern California was available at Lake Perris. Although these sources were located at Eastern s north and south doorsteps, there were no facilities to get the water to the district s domestic or agricultural users. New pipelines and pumping plants were required that could be integrated with the existing system. Eastern s original plan was to operate two water supply systems, one for agriculture and the other for domestic use. Drinking water was to be supplied from connections to Metropolitan Water District filtration plants and the State Water Project and by water from the district s deep wells. Agricultural supply would be furnished from Metropolitan s Colorado River Aqueduct and Eastern s other wells. 164 But, those original plans to introduce State Project water were made prior to the building boom the district experienced in the early 1980s. Agricultural property was being quickly replaced by housing tracts and shopping centers. Never before had Eastern been subjected to meeting such high flow requirements as those created by this rapid increase of domestic users. Domestic meters were being installed at an unprecedented rate of three hundred per month, or more. One summer, over 450 meters per month were installed! This kind of rapid growth demanded a reassessment of the way water was delivered to Eastern s customers. Water consumption had done a complete turnaround, now domestic customers were using 80 percent of the water supply and agriculture accounted for only

5 20 percent. Prior to this growth, the district could easily adjust the size and number of pumps required to maintain water supply; agricultural users irrigated their crops on a 24- hour cycle and minimal water storage was required. However, domestic water customers used water as they needed it, at different rates during the day and during the night. This rapid growth in domestic use changed the way water was delivered; Eastern had to adapt quickly to the change in consumption and the increased need for water storage. The connection to Metropolitan Water District s Mills Filtration Plant was the first to supply State Project water to Eastern s customers, and this connection led to a major change in the district s method of operation. Water had been previously supplied from five connections to the Colorado River Aqueduct. Eastern was able to increase or decrease flow production from these connections at its discretion. The Mills Filtration Plant required an order to be placed 24 hours in advance, and there was only a ten percent grace factor allowed to vary from the pre-ordered flow. This forced Eastern to take full advantage of its limited storage capacity. Eastern tried to stick to its original plan of operating two separate water systems for agricultural and domestic uses, but there wasn t enough demand on the irrigation system to maintain a minimum flow from the Colorado River Aqueduct connections. After attempting to make it work by numerous system adjustments, the decision was made to supply all water from the Mills Filtration Plant and district wells. A new plan was developed to phase the conversion of water supply from the Colorado River Aqueduct connections over to the Mills Filtration Plant connection one section of the district at a time. This was the first time microprocessors and computers would be used to control Eastern s water supply, and it would take time for the staff to become accustomed to operating the new supply system. Eastern s Gene Knott, then supervising watermaster, was involved in much of the work and he kept a detailed personal journal of key events and dates as well as numerous photographs. These excerpts from his journal, as written during the period when the district began introducing State Project water, offer an interesting insight into operations of the time: Phase I: October 18, 1983 Start-up of Mills Pumping Plant and Heacock Booster Station to supply State Project water to Moreno Valley. The areas of Modern water storage tanks, or reservoirs, in Moreno Valley. 165

6 To receive State Project water, EMWD constructed a pumping plant at MWD s Mills Filtration Plant. That pumping facility is seen in this 1984 photo.

7 Edgemont, Sunnymead, and Moreno Valley south to Iris Avenue were those initially receiving State Project water. 7:00 a.m. Mills Pumping Plant engine #3 was started and pumping 5,376 gallons per minute (12 cubic feet per second) to begin filling the 54 diameter pipeline and Mills Tank. 7:30 a.m. Heacock Booster was started, pumping 6,100 gpm (13.6 cfs). Moreno I Booster was throttled back, shutting off the previous water supply. 8:30 a.m. Supply from Mills was increased to balance the system. Phase II & III: October 21, 1983 The weather has been cool and rainy, water demand was down to 2,240 gpm (5 cfs). Minimum flow from Mills Filtration Plant was 5 cfs, and there wasn t any flexibility to decrease flow because of rain. South boundary was included down Perris Boulevard to Rider Street, this introduced State Project water to Mead Valley and Good Hope. Daily flow from Mills Pumping Plant was increased to 3,584 gpm (8 cfs). Phase IV & V: November 28, 1983 The weather had been cooler than normal for this time of year. There were occasional rain showers that kept water demand low. It was difficult maintaining minimum flow from Mills Filtration Plant. The balance of Perris Valley, all the way south to Menifee, including Sun City, Juniper Flats, Romoland and Homeland was supplied with State Project water. Flow from Mills Pumping Plant averaged 3,584 gpm (8 cfs). January 4, 1984 The 36 diameter flow control valve at Moreno I Booster, located at Perris Boulevard and Iris Avenue, had previously been operated manually. This valve is a motor driven control valve that was designed to regulate the flow of water from Mills Tank into the Perris Valley. This view inside the Heacock pumping plant in Moreno Valley, five miles downstream from Mills, shows the maze of pumps, engines, and pipelines at EMWD s largest pumping facility in

8 The Perris Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility under construction, 1981.

9 This valve now had a microprocessor that was programmed to calculate the difference between production at Mills Pumping Plant, minus flow from Heacock Booster, to maintain the water level in Mills Tank. Any difference between these flows would flow into the Perris Valley. There was limited success with this concept, because as flow demand increased, we exceeded the carrying capacity of the 39 diameter Perris Boulevard pipeline. Mills Tank level controls Mills Pumping Plant, as the tank level increases, it makes Mills Pumping Plant decrease flow to prevent overfilling the tank. This decrease in flow would cause an alarm at Metropolitan s Mills Filtration Plant, and they would call Eastern to inform us that we were not taking the contracted flow. The next morning, Mills Tank was full and storage in the Perris Valley water tanks was low. Relations with Metropolitan were getting strained, Knott says, so the microprocessors were turned off and manual control was remotely operated from Central Control at EMWD s main office in San Jacinto. As the new water source became established, Eastern had expected to have many complaints about dirty water because the flow of water had been reversed through its pipelines. In the past, there had been trouble removing cottonwood tree seed and blown sand from water coming from the Colorado River Aqueduct across the desert. There had also been problems with other debris blown into the aqueduct by desert storms. Eastern operated an aggressive flushing system to remove this debris before it got to the District s customers, but there was quite a bit of speculation on how much of this stuff would get stirred up in the pipeline by changing the direction of the flow. The Moreno Valley area previously received its water from the direction of Perris Valley, now Perris Valley was receiving its water from the Moreno Valley area. As it turned out, Eastern had few complaints about debris, but other amusing complaints were received that resulted from the higher quality, softer northern California water: Too many soapsuds, and The water tastes different. One customer complained, What happened to the water spots on my windows? She was familiar with needing to clean her windows weekly, now she wasn t bothered by the build-up of calcium on them. Dispatcher Carol Sands monitors remote readouts from district facilities in the district s control and telemetry center, c

10 Aeration tanks are seen in this photo of the Perris Valley wastewater plant in the late 1980s.

11 Comments like, Ice sticks in my ice cube trays, resulted from the northern California water freezing harder due to its lower salt content. These complaints are all associated with the water being much softer than what was familiar to Eastern s customers. They were accustomed to water with a total dissolved solids level of 500 parts per million or more from the Colorado River Aqueduct. The State Project water total dissolved solids level averaged only 300 parts per million. A second connection to Metropolitan s Lake Skinner Filtration Plant was activated in 1990 as the primary supply of water for the Murrieta area and to provide supplemental water to the Sun City, Menifee, and Perris Valley areas. Cost estimates for the introduction of State Project water, based on the originally proposed dual system for agricultural and domestic use, were about $24 million for 93 miles of new pipelines, 11 pumping plants and other appurtenances. The rapid growth of domestic use within the district increased the cost to about $34 million by the time construction was complete. But the changes, expansions, improvements and innovations needed to keep pace with unprecedented growth in the region weren t all on the fresh water side of the ledger. Perris Valley Sewers Planning for Eastern s fifth regional wastewater treatment plant began in 1969, and in 1977 Engineering-Science, Inc. was hired to design a treatment facility to serve the Perris Valley area. The plans called for a $7.8 million facility at a site near Romoland on the west side of Interstate 215. Funding would come from a variety of local, state, and federal sources, including a $2.8 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, and $1 million provided by the new Eastern Municipal Water District Facilities Corporation. Construction began in July of 1980, and the plant began operation two years later. The city of Perris, through Improvement District E, tied its existing sewer system into the new plant and closed down its old treatment facilities. The plant also serves customers in the Romoland, Homeland, and Lakeview/Nuevo areas. Over the years, a number of areas have installed sewer systems and tied into the Perris Valley plant by way of improvement districts, assessment districts, and other means of financing. 171

12 Upgrading a sewer line in the Green Acres area, 1999.

13 Romoland/Homeland As early as 1975, septic tank problems began to surface in the Romoland/Homeland area. Several environmental studies later, Eastern concluded that the best solution to the potential pollution problems in the area was to build a collection system and connect it to the new Perris Valley treatment plant. In 1982 Eastern mailed out questionnaires to all local residents, seeking support for creation of two local assessment districts, one for Romoland, one for Homeland and Green Acres. Support appeared good, with nearly 75 percent of those responding in Homeland supporting the plan, as well as nearly 70 percent of the Romoland respondents. There was also some opposition. Just as in other areas when Eastern first got into the sewage business in the 1960s, there were local residents whose septic tanks seemed to be working fine, who claimed that the real problem was just other people who didn t know how to take care of their system. Why should we have to pay for their problems? they asked. Others were concerned that sewers would bring changes to their community. I think the basis [of the opposition] was that people who had moved out into that area sort of wanted to live their own life, says former general manger James Laughlin. They moved into the country for that reason. A lot of them had moved out of the Los Angeles area, and they wanted to be isolated, they didn t want sewers to come in and cause huge developments in their area and that type of thing. The objections of some residents in the areas of the proposed assessment districts meant nothing to the State Water Resources Control Board, which had been looking into the local septic tank situation as well. In early 1983, the state board ordered a ban on the use of septic tanks in the area, and gave local businesses and residents just four years to replace them with a sewage treatment system. Further studies followed. Eastern formed community advisory groups for Romoland and Homeland/Green Acres to keep the lines of communication open. In Romoland there was less opposition, and in 1986 local voters there approved a $123,000 budget through Assessment District Five to develop a specific plan for local sewers. The measure passed 280 to 88. Jack Eiler, a member of the Romoland Community Advisory Committee, told reporters: It s way too late, as far as I m concerned. My sewage stopped leaching years 173

14 Local residents and district officials gather at the groundbreaking for the Perris Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility in 1980.

15 ago and I had to put in a dry well. But I m happy we re finally going to have sewers. I would like to have a little party over this. Designing the Romoland collection system presented few problems, especially with the new treatment plant just across the freeway. Eastern hoped the $1.6 million cost could be covered by government grants and loans, including a $1.1 million loan from the federal Farmers Home Administration. The 3,200 rolling acres of the Homeland/Green Acres area were another story. Eastern s cost estimates ran nearly $12 million though there was still hope of some federal funding. In 1987, Eastern began legal proceedings to form Assessment District Seven, and in June local voters approved a $919,000 planning budget by a vote of 1,382 to 543. With the passage of this measure, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board agreed to postpone enforcement of the 1983 state ban on septic tanks and the requirement for a sewage treatment system to replace them by Yet, local opposition still ran high, especially from the Homeland Homeowners Action Association, and in 1988 the sewer plans were briefly put on hold while Eastern worked to gain support for the project. Former general manager James Laughlin recalls: There was close to a 50/50 split; about half of them wanted it and about half of them didn t want it, didn t want anything to do with it. I ll never forget, they had the auditorium [Loomis Hall] at the old fairgrounds it would hold about a thousand people and we held a hearing on the assessment district to be the financing for that project, and that hall was filled with people. John Coudures was the president of the board at that time, and John was a masterful orator. He was an attorney as well as a farmer. So he got up in front of that crowd I think we estimated it at around a thousand people and by the time that the hearing was over with, he had them pretty well eating out of his hand, and the project proceeded on from there, and we built the project. Eventually, the State Water Resources Control Board approved a $6 million grant to pay for more than half the project, and construction began in The Perris Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility,

16 Expanding Services The growth surge in Moreno Valley in the early 1980s, followed by another surge in Temecula at the end of the decade, kept Eastern s engineers and construction crews hopping. Eastern had begun the decade with a population of 133,000 within its boundaries. Just seven years later, the population had jumped to over 200,000. The last three years we have averaged 4,000 new retail connections a year, general manager Don Stewart told reporters in Most of that has been in the Moreno Valley. In addition, I did a study two years ago and there were 125,000 housing units in some stage of development, from planning to construction, in the district. That s a lot of houses and a lot of people to provide water and sewer service for. Since most of Eastern s water delivery system had been over-designed to accommodate future growth, it was mostly Eastern s five regional wastewater treatment plants that required expansion to meet the new demands. The Moreno Valley plant was enlarged from two to three million gallons per day (MGD) capacity in 1981, and then enlarged again just three years later. One million gallons per day capacity will serve about 4,500 homes. In 1986, a $12.6 million contract was awarded to double capacity from five to ten MGD. Between 1982 and 1984 the Hemet/San Jacinto plant was enlarged from 5 MGD to 7.5 MGD in two phases. Then in 1987 it was expanded to 11 MGD. In 1986 the old Sun City plant was doubled in capacity from one to two MGD. The Temecula Valley plant was also enlarged to 2 MGD that same year. In 1988 the Temecula Valley plant was enlarged to a 6.5 MGD capacity at a cost of nearly $15 million, and by 1996 its capacity had been further increased to 8 MGD. An expansion to 12 MGD was expected to be under construction by the end of Between 1992 and 1994 the Perris Valley plant was enlarged by 6 MGD to a maximum capacity of 11 MGD. 176 Besides expanding the daily capacity of these plants, Eastern also expanded its reclaimed water storage facilities. This allowed more surplus reclaimed water to be stored during the winter months for sale during the summer as demand increases. The current maximum capacity of Eastern s five treatment plants is 49 million gallons of wastewater per day. The Moreno Valley plant is the largest, with a capacity of 16 MGD,

17 with the Hemet/San Jacinto and Perris plants not far behind at 11 MGD each. Current projections show the total capacity of these five plants eventually rising to over 240 MGD as local needs increase in coming decades. Reclaimed Water Closely tied to Eastern s sewage treatment facilities is the creation, storage, and sale of reclaimed water. The idea of finding uses for the water reclaimed by sewage treatment processes began in the 1920s, and by the early 1960s reclaimed water was already being used in southern California for farm irrigation and to recharge the groundwater supply. Two levels of treatment produce two grades of reclaimed water each with its appropriate uses. Secondary treatment produces water for irrigating crops that will not be eaten by humans feed and seed crops, for example. Tertiary treatment, the third and most extensive level of treatment, produces water which can be used for almost any purpose short of direct human consumption. Beside groundwater recharge, reclaimed water is also commonly used for landscape irrigation, including highway medians and golf courses. Eastern embraced reclaimed water early on as a new source of supplemental supply. We needed to be able to have water for irrigation that didn t come from the Colorado River and didn t get mined from the underground, says former general manager Don Stewart. If you have reclaimed water that you can treat to the degree necessary to do this, you of course reinforce your position, and you have eliminated the need for [wastewater] exportation, and at the same time given you something for benefit. According to Eastern s 1997 Reclaimed Water Master Plan: The district has changed its approach to water management since Reclaimed water had historically been considered a by-product of the sewage treatment system requiring disposal [now] EMWD considers any water source to be a vital part of its water resources management program. As such, reclaimed water is an asset and must be managed accordingly. In March, 1992 Eastern formed Improvement District H to develop separate transmission lines for reclaimed water. ID-H takes in nearly the entire territory of the Eastern Municipal Water District. The concept in our Improvement District H is to do the same thing with Congressman Al McCandless and EMWD vice president Chester Gilbert present Eastern s reclamation facilities loan report to Dennis Underwood of the Bureau of Reclamation in Washington, DC,

18 The Grant Avenue ponds in Valle Vista, 1998; part of the district s groundwater recharge system.

19 reclaimed water as with fresh, Stewart explains, in other words, have a separate system for reclaimed water that makes reclaimed water accessible to the areas within the district... as an overall responsibility. It s pretty much an overlay of the original water system; the wholesale, and then the retail. The $40 million project was largely completed by the end of Part of the ID-H program (largely funded by the Small Project loan program that had served the district so well in the past) was the construction of a series of reclaimed water transmission lines (known as reaches ) that connect all five of Eastern s wastewater treatment plants to its various storage ponds and also provide delivery points for reclaimed water sales to a wider area. We ve got several reaches throughout the system that provide us with a way to distribute the water, says general manager John Brudin, and several areas to store it the Skiland ponds, the Trumble ponds, the Winchester ponds, and so on. That gives us a means of storing the water so we re not trying to pump it out and distribute it immediately. By 1999, Eastern was selling about 25,000 acre-feet of reclaimed water a year. Its customers included 47 farms, five golf courses, and 14 landscape irrigators. Currently, Eastern s reclaimed water sales only cover about 40 percent of its treatment costs, but that gap is beginning to close. Still, it is economical in other ways. By getting more use out of each gallon of water, it reduces the need to use local supplies or buy outside water, thereby saving money and conserving groundwater supplies. Conserving and protecting groundwater requires the cooperation of every local water agency and well owner. Eastern led the way with the 1995 adoption of the West San Jacinto Groundwater Management Plan which covers much of the northern half of district. Eastern was one of the first agencies in the state to successfully adopt a plan under 1992 legislation. By increasing recharge and guarding against over-pumping, it is hoped that by the year 2015, the plan will develop an additional 40,000 acre-feet of groundwater supplies per year. General manager John Brudin notes, Neither EMWD nor any other municipality or private pumper benefits from a declining water table pumping costs rise and water quality suffers. Wastewater reclamation, groundwater recharge, and groundwater management involve all sorts of complex technology. They also involve a high level of inter-agency cooperation, not just between local agencies, but also with the San Diego and Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Boards. In 1986 and 1987 the San Diego RWQCB objected to the use of Spreading water on the San Jacinto riverbed,

20 secondary reclaimed water from Eastern s Temecula Valley plant for irrigation, because it carried too high a nutrient and mineral content, particularly nitrates. The problem was resolved by dilution, the blending of a small amount of fresh water with each day s output of treated water, about 55,000 gallons of fresh water for every 1.3 million gallons of reclaimed water. Ten years later, Eastern agreed to build a new $7.6 million chlorination system at its Hemet/San Jacinto plant to meet water quality requirements set by the Santa Ana RWQCB. That system went into operation in the spring of Two new projects have been developed in cooperation with the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, and are essential components in Eastern s efforts to develop additional groundwater supplies. The first is a nine-mile reclaimed water line that went into operation in 1998 to carry tertiary treated water from Sun City to the top of Temescal Wash near Lake Elsinore. The second is participation in the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority s brine line out Temescal Canyon to Corona. There, it will connect in 2001 with an existing major outfall pipeline (SARI, the Santa Ana Regional Interceptor line) to carry highly mineralized water to yet another level of treatment at a plant in Orange County, then to the ocean. 180 The increasing salinity of local groundwater is a growing concern. Water from some local wells, especially in the Sun City area, has long been too salty for use. Eastern awarded a $3.9 million contract in June 2000 for construction of a desalination plant on the grounds of its Sun City wastewater treatment plant. Water from that facility can again become part of our fresh water supply while the desalting process also helps protect other, nearby groundwater from further damage. But, as general manager John Brudin points out, a byproduct of the desalination plant would be more brine: One of the things the desalter generates is brine, which is, in effect, the salts which are extracted from the water as the total dissolved solids are removed. Now, we could put the brine from this desalter in a holding pond and simply go ahead and truck it out of here and haul it down someplace and dump it. Well, that s expensive, and we were going to spend a major capital amount for the brine ponds to support the desalter, and then we d be stuck with that expense which would be essentially a throw-away cost. It was about $4 million.

21 Eastern chose participation in the construction of the Temescal Canyon brine line as a superior alternative to brine ponds. The district s own brine line from its Sun City plant to the mouth of Temescal Canyon is already in place, and the desalination plant is expected to be in operation by mid Plans were being prepared in 2000 for additional, similar desalination plants in the north Perris/Skiland area and near the community of Winchester. Wetlands Projects Another valuable use for reclaimed water has been the wetlands projects along the San Jacinto River, near Lakeview. These wetlands provide a natural habitat for native plants and birds, as well as other valuable environmental benefits. The first conserved wetlands along the San Jacinto River was the San Jacinto Wildlife Refuge, which the State of California acquired in 1982 as part of the mitigation for the areas disturbed by the construction of the State Water Project. This 4,700-acre preserve, one of 55 administered by the state Department of Fish and Game, opened to the public in At that time, the state approached Eastern about buying reclaimed water to support and expand the wetlands area. An 8.5 mile supply line directly from the Hemet/San Jacinto treatment facility was built in 1988 to serve these wetlands with secondary reclaimed water. Beginning in 1990 Eastern constructed its own wetlands area near the Hemet/San Jacinto plant with the help of a study grant from the Bureau of Reclamation. The first plantings were made in 1992, and by acres of ponds were created and planted with bulrush and other aquatic plants. Bulrush is known to serve as a natural filter for removing heavy metals, nitrates and phosphorus from secondary-treated reclaimed water. The experiment has proven to be a success. Secondary-treated water is pumped into the five ponds, where it is retained for approximately one week instead of proceeding to tertiary treatment at the plant. The bulrush is now thriving, and the nutrient and mineral content of the water is significantly reduced. When EMWD received its Small Reclamation Projects Loan Act funds for construction of the wetlands and its accompanying backbone pipeline system, it agreed to build a multipurpose project. Not only would it provide additional treatment for secondary treated A 54-inch reclaimed water line and a 30-inch brine line are laid side-by-side near Lake Elsinore, August, Planting bulrush in the wetlands area near the Hemet/San Jacinto Regional Water Reclamation Facility,

22 The district s Wetlands Water Education Facility affords an excellent location for groups of school children to learn about wastewater treatment and recycled water, water conservation, and environmental issues.

23 wastewater, but it would provide environmental enhancement, creation of habitat, educational opportunities and other public benefits. By mid-2000, nearly 120 species of migratory and resident waterfowl, shorebirds, neotropical song birds and raptors were using the site. An estimated ten percent of the world s entire population of tri-colored blackbirds were resident. Information on the project has been published nationally and internationally, and visitors from more than 30 countries have visited the site. The education element is equally successful. The district s school education program relies on the Wetlands for 30 or more field trips a year for school students, and the 1,200 square foot Wetlands Water Education Facility, overlooking the wetlands itself, is a popular place to hold discussions and examine findings and information from the wetlands. In 1999, the district adopted the term recycled water to replace reclaimed water. The new term was becoming widely used in the industry. But whether recycled or reclaimed, it represents an increasingly precious resource. Director Rodger Siems tours the district s wetlands project with project coordinator Christie Crother, Murrieta Most of the annexations to Eastern in recent years have been in the rapidly-growing Murrieta area. Just as with Rancho California 20 years before, there were questions about whether the area should annex to Eastern or to the adjoining Western Municipal Water District. There was a lot of discussion on that, says general manger James Laughlin, but Western basically didn t have the capability of serving it, they really don t have any water [lines] down that way, where Eastern had facilities in the old Murrieta Hot Springs area that could easily be extended over into Murrieta. Between 1987 and 1997 there were 21 separate annexations in Murrieta, totaling 660 acres. Most were small, under 25 acres. Another 1,900 acres north of Murrieta along the I-215 freeway has also joined Eastern during that time. During the mid-1980s, much of the local focus was on the Golden Triangle area at the junction of the I-15 and I-215 freeways. Early in 1987 Eastern formed Assessment District Four to provide $8.8 million for water and sewer development in the area. Just two months later, $5.3 million in construction contracts were awarded for projects including two water From time to time, the bulrush in the district s wetlands area must be burned off, to keep it from overwhelming the marshes. 183

24 storage tanks, a water well, three sewer lift stations, 9.5 miles of water pipeline and 3.7 miles of sewer line in the area bounded by Antelope Road, I-15 and I-215. The main supply lines into the area come from Metropolitan s aqueduct in Auld Valley, which provides treated water from Lake Skinner. To help underwrite the cost of this water pipeline, Eastern entered into a joint agreement with the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District. EVMWD agreed to pay roughly two-thirds of the $6.7 million construction cost in return for the right to transport its own water purchases from Metropolitan s lines into EVMWD territory. EVMWD also worked out an arrangement with the developers of California Oaks to pay a share of its costs to provide an ample water supply for their new master-planned community. The line was completed in Eastern s coverage in the older, southern part of the city of Murrieta remains spotty, with numerous disconnected parcels. To simplify operations in the area, Eastern has been working in cooperation with the Murrieta County Water District, and in 1997 agreed to take over the maintenance of the sewer collection system in the area. Much of the Murrieta County Water District area has not yet been annexed to the Metropolitan Water District, and thus must still rely on well water. Negotiations between Eastern, Western, and Metropolitan have assured the annexation of the rest of Murrieta County s territory. An important compromise was struck with MWD, making it possible for the area to annex immediately without having to pay the current $3,000 per acre annexation fee until each parcel develops. Temecula The growth of Temecula in recent years has been remarkable. Completion of the I-15 freeway north from San Diego in 1985 gave the area a real boost, and the city of Temecula incorporated in The Rancho California Water District has grown with the area, taking over the operation and maintenance of all its own facilities from Eastern in 1981, though it continues to buy imported water wholesale from Eastern. Eastern s major local project now is the Temecula Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility, which can currently handle up to eight million gallons of sewage per day. Treated water from the plant is either sold or

25 stored in Eastern s Winchester ponds. The plant is expected to be expanded to 12 MGD capacity in The area north of Temecula, especially French Valley, has also been growing in recent years. In 1987 Assessment District Six was formed to pay for water and sewer pipelines in the Dutch Village subdivision at the southern end of the valley. In May, 1991 Improvement Districts U23 and U24 were formed to fund $11 million worth of water and sewer lines closer to the new French Valley Airport. ID-U23 for sewer improvements originally took in 1,738 acres and has already nearly doubled to 3,344 acres. ID-U24 for water improvements started with just over five acres, but has grown through annexation to 615 acres as new developments have been built in the valley. Assessment District 19, formed in 1993, serves a different purpose. It is one of three assessment districts formed by Eastern to pay the annexation fees for new areas joining Eastern and the Metropolitan Water District. The other annexation fee assessment districts are in the Pigeon Pass area of Moreno Valley and the 912-acre Davidson annexation near Murrieta. Assessment District 19 allowed the Rancho Glen Oaks area in the hills northeast of Temecula to join both Eastern and the Metropolitan Water District. Many other new tracts in the Temecula area are paying for water and sewer connections through community facilities districts established by the developers with Riverside County or the city of Temecula. The district has several very major community facility districts in the Rancho California area, Don Stewart explains, where, under the auspices of the county in most cases, they have been formed not only for water or sewer purposes but for the roads, flood control facilities, etc. They are putting heavy burdens on the property. In these cases, the district gives the credits back to the implementing entity (city, county, etc.) to then use to pay off the bonds that were sold to finance the facilities. In many instances the implementing agency formed the CFD without considering what would be needed ten or 15 years from now. Therefore, that is when an assessment district needs to be formed to take care of major facilities, to take care of growth in an orderly fashion without being without funds. The board of directors has a written policy for assessment district administration and as a part of the assessment district or CFD agreement with the sponsors, we Part of the district s extensive map collection, Dedication day at the new Temecula Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility, October 23,

26 Eastern s 450 MG recycled water storage ponds near Winchester hold and distribute water produced at Temecula.

27 require the sponsors to authorize a long-range bond program to insure that the district has the ability to provide for the long-term service needs of that area. The district has utilized every means available to equitably and economically finance programs on a pay-as-you-go basis. We do not go out and try to build for 50 years from now and make the people who are here pay for that. In order to allow the people who are now coming here to enjoy this conservative program, you need some place to go in the future. The district has always planned for staged development. Always leave a route open for pipelines not directly parallel but in another benefit area, because it is not always possible to know what the development will be, regardless of what the general plans say. Everything has to be staged and planned. Sunnymead and Moreno Valley Mutual Water Companies For many years, three mutual water companies served much of north and central Moreno Valley: the Sunnymead, Edgemont Gardens, and Box Springs mutual water companies. All began buying supplemental water from Eastern in the 1950s. Over the years, declining wells and rising costs began to catch up with these companies. As private operations, they had no source for additional funding except their customers and stockholders, making capital improvements difficult to complete. In recent years, two of the three companies have turned their operations over to Eastern. The Sunnymead Mutual Water Company was the first. Its stockholders voted to turn its assets and operations over to Eastern at no cost in 1990, with Eastern s agreement to continue to serve its 350 or so customers. The Edgemont Gardens Mutual Water Company (renamed the Moreno Valley Mutual Water Company in the early 1990s) continued to serve about one square mile of territory west of Perris Boulevard until 1997, when its stockholders also voted to turn the operation over to Eastern. By that time, the company had been buying most of the water for its 850 customers from Eastern for several years. The continuing decline in well water quality, primarily due to nitrate concentrations, had made it unfit for domestic consumption. The offices of the Edgemont Gardens Mutual Water Company,

28 The Soboba Reservation One current challenge for Eastern that dates back even before the days of the San Jacinto Tunnel is that of the water rights of the Soboba Indian Reservation near San Jacinto. Established by the federal government in the 1880s, the Soboba Reservation is home to a mixed population of native Americans from several southern California tribes. When the San Jacinto Tunnel was under construction in the 1930s it, like others, experienced a drop in spring and creek flow. In 1941 the tribal council demanded a $36,000 settlement payment from the Metropolitan Water District in return for its lost water. Metropolitan refused, but did pay some small individual claims. The reservation persisted in its claims for damages, and throughout the 1950s officials from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Metropolitan tried to reach an agreement that was acceptable to all sides. Eastern was brought into the picture in 1958, when it agreed to build and operate a water system for the reservation if the funding became available. That same year, Metropolitan offered $30,000 to settle the Soboba claims, along with an offer to annex more than half the reservation to the Metropolitan Water District (via Eastern) at no charge. Its offer was refused. In 1962 and again in 1975, Eastern explored the possibility of an annexation vote on the reservation, but each time the petitions failed to gain enough support. During the 1960s various bills were introduced in Congress to offer a settlement to the Soboba claims. Eastern was asked several times to reaffirm its offer to build and operate a water system if the funding could be found. One bill finally passed and was signed into law in 1970, but was rejected by the tribal leadership, in part because any money paid to settle its water claims would have to be spent on the construction of a water system. 188 In 1977, the old well that supplied drinking water for much of Soboba gave out completely, and the federal government agreed to drill a new well for the reservation. In more recent years, the federal government has paid a multi-million dollar settlement to the reservation, admitting that it failed to properly protect the Indians interests in their negotiations with Metropolitan decades before, but the old water claims themselves remain unsettled. Now, a new issue has arisen. As this is written in mid-2000, confidential negotiations are underway between the tribal council and the four main water agencies in the San Jacinto Valley Eastern, Lake Hemet Municipal Water District, and the cities of Hemet and San Jacinto. The negotiations began after the council threatened a lawsuit over the loss

29 of its water rights from the San Jacinto River. The issue is large and complex, according to Eastern s general manager, John Brudin: There has to be some way for some court to say that you re each entitled to this much and here s how we re going to manage this whole process. And that s eventually going to take the entire community, the private pumpers, the two cities, the two water districts [Lake Hemet and Eastern], and the business community to agree with this. We re not there yet. The history of these kinds of settlements is that they take ten to 15 years we ve been at it for about five, so we re not there yet. A New Headquarters: Perris The rapid growth in western Riverside County in the 1980s was reflected in the expansion and remodeling of Eastern s old offices in San Jacinto, with major projects completed in 1981, 1982, and again in Still, Eastern s operations were outgrowing the old site. In 1986 Hemet architects Herron & Rumansoff were hired to draw up the first conceptual plans for a field operations center near the four-year-old Perris Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility. We had a study done, James Laughlin explains, We had projections on how the departments were going to grow, and how many employees ultimately we were going to have. And then we started looking at locations, and travel time from Hemet was just tremendous. We were looking at a crew that had to go to Temecula to do work, they would take a minimum of an hour and a half to get down there, and an hour and a half back that s three hours out of an eight hour work day and we were losing a tremendous amount of work time. So working with the board we decided we would start looking for a location that was more centrally located. We knew the 215 freeway was going to go in so we started looking for something in the Perris area, because the driving time to Temecula, the driving time to Moreno Valley, the driving time to Hemet were almost exactly equal [from there], and that s the reason we arrived at something in the Perris area. The Operations and Maintenance Center in Perris was opened in May, Groundbreaking for Eastern s new Administrative Center,

30 Eastern s present Administrative Center near Perris, dedicated in 1998.

31 In 1987, Eastern acquired 386 acres along Trumble Road, across the I-215 freeway from its Perris Valley wastewater treatment plant, and the architectural planning continued. The original plans called for a much larger complex to eventually support a greatly increased staff, but as the economy slowed in the early 1990s, the plans were scaled back accordingly. The decision was made to start with a completely new, more economical design and to build the facility in stages, beginning with the operations and maintenance buildings. Construction began in 1993, and in May, 1995 about 250 members of Eastern s operations and maintenance staffs moved into their new 98,500-square-foot home that had been built for $7 million. Construction on the 75,000 square foot administration building began in June, 1996 and was completed early in 1998 at a cost of nearly $8 million. Moving out of the old headquarters after more than 25 years was a major project, but as of May 4, 1998, every department had made the move to its new quarters. Eastern s total workforce at the time of the move was 470, down from 547 in The new Administrative Center is fully 25 percent larger than the old San Jacinto Avenue buildings and will accommodate future growth within the district s boundaries. The old San Jacinto site was sold later in 1998 to the San Jacinto Unified School District for $2.3 million. The school district remodeled the 20-acre site to serve as its district offices and corporation yard. Included in the new facility was a modern water quality laboratory. Bringing together most of the functions of old laboratories at the five wastewater treatment plants and able now to accomplish some testing that had previously been done by outside contractors, the district had for the first time a thoroughly capable and well equipped central laboratory. As federal and state demands for increased tests continue to build, a top quality laboratory had become essential, and Eastern had one! While the district s physical plant is important as a focal point from which all its activities emanate, improved technology used to operate the water and wastewater systems is equally essential. Laboratory technician Denise Gierhart works in EMWD s modern water quality laboratory, which conducts thousands of test procedures each month to ensure water quality remains high and that wastewater discharges meet federal and state requirements. EMWD s current headquarters complex, viewed from the south looking north. The Operations and Maintenance Center and yard are in the foreground with the Administrative Center at the middle right and a 287 milliongallon recycled water holding pond in the background. 191

32 Jean Cortez and Mike Espejo staff the console in the district s new Integrated Operations Center mid-year Data can be displayed on individual monitors or on huge wall-sized screens that can show real-time information.

33 The Age of Automation and Electronics Eastern began electronically monitoring approximately 50 sites with alarm and tank level functions in the early 1970s. This system used tone signals sent over the district s two-way communication radio to report the amount of water in a storage tank, flow rate, or pressure in the water system. Most of the equipment used was military surplus converted for water system monitoring. Today, Eastern electronically controls flow, pressure, and tank levels and monitors safety features at over 240 locations. This is accomplished by the use of a sophisticated computer system. Eastern is now developing an improved computer-controlled system that will enable flows and tank levels to be controlled on a constant, real-time basis. The operating speed of this new system will improve efficiency, helping deliver water to the district s customers at the least cost. An operator in the Integrated Operations Center (IOC, which includes the former central control function) will view a series of computer screens and see the status of the system. Pumping plants will be controlled by computer. The computer system evaluates water tank levels, system pressure, and customer demand to determine which pumps will most economically meet the demand. The new system will be at the cutting edge of technology in the water industry. It will show availability of water for fire fighting, future growth, valve locations, water quality concerns, pressure, hydraulic analysis, and blending information at the touch of a finger. But there s more than water flow involved. Eastern is moving toward a fully integrated operations system, with the ability to share real-time data between departments, from laboratory to operations, maintenance, and engineering. There are two reasons this is important. First, EMWD s operations have grown tremendously the last 20 years and continue to grow. Given the size and complexity of the system, integration will achieve a closer coupling of field control systems with supervisory control. Control & Communication Systems Coordinator, General Stigall monitors data in the district s new Integrated Operations Center in June Real time information can be displayed on the giant, wall-sized screens behind him. Andy Chmielinski, Manager, Control & Communication Systems, is at the rear. 193

34 In preparation for the Diamond Valley Lake project, the Metropolitan Water District relocated a portion of its San Diego Aqueduct near Winchester. The new stretch was dedicated in 1994.

35 The second important consideration is that increasing costs of water and energy, as well as rigorous environmental and public health standards, require further automation to control costs, increase efficiency, and ensure reliability. Eastern has made major investments in several advanced technologies such as automated mapping and facilities management, and geographic information systems (GIS). The district continues to make investments in maintenance management systems, hydraulic modelers, and other facility databases that capture critical information. The Integrated Operations Center will take this mountainous quantity of data and convert it into more accessible information for use in day-to-day operations. One objective of the IOC is to provide computerized infrastructure that will interconnect and provide access to these various databases from one common user interface. As these modernization steps are implemented within EMWD s system, and ever more sophisticated SCADA (supervisory control and data automation) systems are at the threshold, new sources of water in our arid region captivate the public and the water industry alike. Diamond Valley Lake Storage is a critical part of making Metropolitan Water District s water supplies go further for its members. Water must be available when it s needed because of increased summertime demands, or interruption of the flow from the Colorado River or California State aqueducts. In 1984, Metropolitan began the search for a massive new reservoir site to more than double its storage capacity. Some 13 sites were considered, including Vail Lake and the Potrero Creek area above San Jacinto. The eventual choice was the Diamond/ Domenigoni Valley area south of Hemet, which lies largely within the boundaries of Eastern Municipal Water District. Plans for what MWD originally dubbed the Eastside Reservoir were announced in 1987, and Metropolitan began acquiring land in the area. Construction was officially authorized in 1991 but did not begin until The project required two major dams on the east and west ends of the valley, plus a smaller saddle dam to fill a low spot in the hills on the north side. The reservoir is approximately four and a half miles long, up to two miles wide, and from 160 to 250 feet deep. It will hold about 800,000 acre-feet of water about a five month supply for Metropolitan s members. Water flows into Diamond Valley Lake on its official dedication day, March 18,

36 This computer image shows Diamond Valley Lake as it will appear when filled.

37 Water for the new reservoir, which began filling in November, 1999, initially comes from the Colorado River Aqueduct. Later, a connection with the State Water Project reservoir at Lake Silverwood in the San Bernardino mountains will bring water to the reservoir through 43 miles of tunnels and pipelines that will carry up to 646 million gallons per day. At both the east and west ends of the reservoir, Metropolitan prepared the site for a variety of recreational facilities. These include riding and hiking trails, golf, water sports, camping, and smaller recreational lakes. Eastern will be providing domestic and recycled water for landscaping in these areas, along with operating the necessary sewer systems. As part of the mitigation required in the environmental review process, Metropolitan has provided 2,400 acres of open space by purchasing land already set aside as the Shipley Reserve between Diamond Valley Lake and Lake Skinner. This open space is in addition to Metropolitan s participation in the acquisition of 3,800 acres for the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve in the hills above Temecula. Ceremonies for the dedication of Diamond Valley Lake were held March 17-19, Metropolitan hopes its new reservoir will be filled by All in all, the project will cost more than $2 billion. While not an Eastern project, Diamond Valley Lake is a critical element in future water supply plans for our area. Staff and Board Changes After nearly 30 years as Eastern s general manager, Doyle Boen retired at the end of His involvement with Eastern did not end with his retirement, however; he continued to consult with the district staff on various matters. March, 1982 saw the retirement of Irwin Farrar as Eastern s representative on the Metropolitan Water District board of directors. There are times in life when you can t cheat the calendar, the 88-year-old Farrar told reporters. He died almost exactly one year later, on March 17, Doyle Boen succeeded Farrar as Eastern s Metropolitan representative, serving from 1982 to Don Stewart at work at the drafting table in the mid-1950s. Don Stewart followed Boen as general manager. He was the natural choice, having served as the district s deputy general manager since Stewart joined the district staff in 1951, just as the district was moving into its new office in the Wattles Building. Stewart, in fact, had been working for Wattles Construction before the district took over the building They moved into the building and I was already there, he jokes. 197

38 A group of district pioneers gathered with the board of directors to celebrate Eastern s 35th anniversary in Seated (from left) are directors Rodger Siems, John Coudures, William Aldridge, Chester Gilbert, and Richard Kelley. Behind them stand Jim Bunts, Maurice Sherrill, general manager James Laughlin, former general managers Don Stewart and Doyle Boen, Rogers Cox, who had served as the district treasurer since its formation, and former director Merlyn McIntyre.

39 Stewart served six years as general manager, retiring on December 31, Like Doyle Boen, he has also continued to serve as a consultant to the district staff. Stewart was followed by James Laughlin, former general manager of the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, who had been hired as Eastern s deputy general manager of Operations in June, Laughlin served until May, 1989 when he returned to his old position with EVMWD. While Eastern searched for a new general manager, Don Stewart returned as interim general manager for the remainder of Eastern s fourth general manager was J. Andrew Schlange, who began his duties in January, Schlange had worked in Eastern s engineering department for ten years during the 1950s and 1960s before leaving to become deputy general manager of the Chino Basin Municipal Water District. Later, he served as that district s general manager from 1970 to 1975 and as general manager of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority from 1980 to Schlange retired at the end of September, 1994 at the age of 60. My commitment was for five years, he told reporters, which was the amount of time I felt necessary to get the district well established on a number of important projects. I m pleased to note that most of these programs are now well developed. That is not to say the job is done. Quite to the contrary, a great deal of hard work is still necessary to achieve the district s goal of limiting future costs of EMWD services to its customers, which is the critical part of meeting those challenges. John Brudin, Eastern s current general manager, began his tenure in October, 1994 after previously serving nine months as deputy general manager under Schlange. A Hemet native, he is the son of Aleck Brudin, who served on Eastern s original board of directors in A civil engineer by training, he was one of the founders of the Hemet engineering firm of Neste, Brudin & Stone in Over the years, he often represented clients in their dealing with Eastern or worked for the district directly as a consultant. His first major consulting job with the district was working on the Improvement District 17 sewer project for the San Jacinto Valley in Brudin arrived at Eastern while California was in the midst of a serious economic recession, and the district was dealing with its effects. A variety of changes and tough decisions All five of Eastern s general managers gathered for a 50th anniversary portrait in Seated (from left) are James Laughlin and Doyle Boen; behind them are Andrew Schlange, Don Stewart, and current general manager John Brudin. 199

40 The board of directors in the early 1980s, (from left) Richard Kelley, James Simpson, John Coudures, Chester Gilbert, and William Aldridge.

41 needed to be made and Brudin felt ready for the job. I take considerable satisfaction in the fact that, throughout my professional life, I ve seemed to have an ability to analyze organizations and to organize or reorganize them in ways that have made them better, he says. That s what I ve tried to do here at EMWD. The last person directly linked to Eastern s founding left service in January, 1996 when Rogers Cox retired after 45 continuous years as the district s treasurer. Cox served the district since the organizational board meeting on January 11, He is Eastern s only original official still living as this is written in mid The board of directors has continued to evolve through the 1980s and 1990s. Merlyn McIntyre announced his resignation from the board in July, 1980 after serving 17 years. Former Hemet mayor James Simpson was appointed to McIntyre s old seat and served until his death in June, Simpson served an unprecedented 18 years as Hemet s mayor from 1950 to During his tenure, Simpson was a major supporter of Eastern s Improvement District 17 sewer plan for the San Jacinto Valley. Hemet s downtown community center and the city s wilderness park are both named in his honor. San Jacinto Valley rancher and Hemet Unified School District trustee Rodger Siems was appointed to serve out Simpson s last term and has been elected to the board three times since. He is currently the senior member of Eastern s board of directors. John Fett resigned from the board in July, 1981 and Valle Vista citrus rancher Richard Kelley, brother of state Senator David Kelley, was appointed to complete Fett s term. Kelley was elected to a full term in 1982, re-elected in 1986, and served until June, 1990 when he resigned to devote more time to his business and personal interests. Kelley s replacement was Craig Weaver, the vineyard manager for Callaway Vineyards in Temecula. Weaver was the first board member from the southern end of the district. He served until November, 1993 when increasing responsibilities at Callaway forced his resignation. More than 20 residents from all across Division Two including Sun City, Menifee, Temecula, Murrieta, and Quail Valley applied for the appointment to complete the remainder of Weaver s term. In December, 1993 Eastern s board of directors selected Richard Hall as Weaver s successor. Hall has wide experience in water matters, having served as general manager of both the Chino Basin Water District and Rancho California Water District. He served as Eastern s vice president in , and president in

42 The board of directors. From left. Foreground: Clayton A. Record, Jr., vice president; David J. Slawson, president. Background: Marion V. Ashley, Rodger D. Siems, Richard R. Hall.

43 After running unopposed for the Division Three director s seat in 1976 and 1980, San Jacinto veterinarian William Aldridge easily won re-election over two other candidates in 1984 and became president of the district s board in He resigned from the board in July, 1995 and passed away in Clayton A. Record, Jr., a former Riverside County supervisor and member of a prominent San Jacinto dairy ranching family, was appointed to complete Aldridge s term in August, 1995 and continues to represent Division Three. Since 1999 he has also represented Eastern on the MWD board, and in 2000 was elected one of the two vice chairmen of that body. It was the first time an Eastern official had reached such a high level of leadership at Met. In 1984, for the first time since the creation of the district 34 years before, there were two candidates vying for the Division Four seat. Attorney John Coudures, who had represented the Perris Valley since Floyd Bonge s retirement at the end of 1972, defeated Edward Rasmussen 6,862 to 5,250. Coudures later served as Eastern s president and continued to represent Division Four until June, He died in 1995 at the age of 79. Currently representing Division Four is Marion Ashley, local real estate developer and Perris Valley native son, related to both the Motte and Tatum families. One of the original directors of the EMWD Facilities Corporation, he has also served for many years on Riverside County s Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). He was re-elected to Eastern s board of directors in 1996 while serving as its president. Moreno Valley banker Chester Gilbert served as board president from 1980 to 1988, and continued to serve on the board until his retirement at the end of He served as Eastern s representative to the Metropolitan Water District board from 1994 to David Slawson, owner of a land surveying firm and former Moreno Valley planning commissioner, beat out four other candidates in November of 1994 to win Gilbert s old seat and was re-elected in Slawson is currently serving as board president in Eastern s board of directors, Seated (from left) Rodger Siems, William Aldridge, and Chester Gilbert; standing, Marion Ashley and Craig Weaver. 203