The 2002 water year, which ended Sept. 30, was classified
officially as dry, according to the state Department of Water
Resources. For much of Southern California, 2002 was the driest year
on record. San Diego and Los Angeles received less than a third of
their normal rainfall, and some areas recorded even less.
Although there were no statewide emergency declarations of
drought, some communities in the Inland Empire experienced severe
water shortages as groundwater levels dropped.
Our groundwater supply in the Verdugo Basin is used as the primary
source of water for Crescenta Valley Water District consumers. The
past four consecutive years of below-normal precipitation in the
watersheds of the Verdugo Basin have severely reduced our
groundwater-production capacity in the Verdugo Basin, and hence the
water supply available to the district.
In addition, the district is facing the aging of the existing
water-supply wells. Of the 11 active production wells, four range in
age between 70 and 79 years. The remaining wells range in age between
50 and 56 years. The typical operating life of a well in this part of
Southern California is approximately 50 years. Therefore, the vast
majority of the district's water wells are operating beyond their
projected useful life.
Concurrent with the aging of the district's water-production
facilities is the increase in expenditures for well operation and
maintenance. Most of the production wells have experienced problems
with sanding and casing deterioration due simply to age and
well-construction practices in place at the time of construction.
Furthermore, the district has seen a moderate increase in water
demand over the past 30 years. More recently, concentrated growth in
specific portions of its service area, due to local zoning
ordinances, has led to the conversion of aging, single-family
residences to multi-residential dwelling units. As a result, the
district has experienced an accelerated demand on water supplies in
recent years.
At its November meeting, the CVWD's Board of Directors authorized
the drilling and construction of three monitoring wells as part of
the Verdugo Basin Groundwater Evaluation and Monitoring Study.
Recently, the district received a $250,000 grant from the state to
install groundwater monitoring wells to monitor water quality and
water-level data throughout the Crescenta Valley over the next two
years.
The information gathered from these monitoring wells will help us
