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Recent rain and snow in California have West Kern Water District General Manager Harry O. Starkey beaming.
“We’re off to a good start,” he told his board of directors last Tuesday at the monthly meeting. “The forecast is for additional rain in the Feather (River). We will finish this month above normal.
“We’re tracking right along. It is one of the wettest years on record. The weather forecast is that we are still in a LaNina. We will see how it goes.”
The water district has been socked by three years of drought and reduced water deliveries from the state that have drastically lowered the water table in its well field near Tupman.
Above normal rainfall translates to increased deliveries from the state water project.
That good news was tempered by Starkey’s report on pressure from the San Joaquin Valley air pollution control district concerning restrictions on internal combustion engines.
“We have many of these engines throughout the system,” he said.
The district is petitioning for a delay in phasing out the gas engines in favor of electric. The deadline was last January.
It will cost the district about $250,000 to phase out the higher polluting gas engines, Starkey said.
“We’re looking at other strategies,” he said. “Most people are using electric. It is a significant issue.”
He said he’s disturbed at the emphasis on stationary gas engines when the major polluters are trucks and cars.
“We will be getting the cost impact on the district,” he told the board.
J.D. Bramlet, assistant general manager for operations, said the district will be able to meet the new, more stringent standards.
“We can meet it,” he said. “It’s just going to cost us some money. There are a couple of different ways we can go. It’s a complicated issue. We can meet it. It won’t shut us down.”
Starkey will meet with the executive director of the air quality district “to state our case.”
In other action, the board:
•Filed its final response to the Kern County Grand Jury report recommending tighter controls of reserve funds, more scrutiny of expenditures for legal services and more attention to district policy on nepotism.
•Authorized a $1.3 million payment to W. M. Lyles Company for work on the district’s $31 million well field expansion project to cover costs incurred through October. “I think they’re moving along very well,” Bramlet told the board.
Heard a report on discussions with Taft College and the City of Taft regarding the closure of Emmons Park Drive as it curves through the campus. The water district has lines that run through the area and wants to make sure it has access to them.
•Accepted an audit report for 2009-10.
Recent rain and snow in California have West Kern Water District General Manager Harry O. Starkey beaming.
“We’re off to a good start,” he told his board of directors last Tuesday at the monthly meeting. “The forecast is for additional rain in the Feather (River). We will finish this month above normal.
“We’re tracking right along. It is one of the wettest years on record. The weather forecast is that we are still in a LaNina. We will see how it goes.”
The water district has been socked by three years of drought and reduced water deliveries from the state that have drastically lowered the water table in its well field near Tupman.
Above normal rainfall translates to increased deliveries from the state water project.
That good news was tempered by Starkey’s report on pressure from the San Joaquin Valley air pollution control district concerning restrictions on internal combustion engines.
“We have many of these engines throughout the system,” he said.
The district is petitioning for a delay in phasing out the gas engines in favor of electric. The deadline was last January.
It will cost the district about $250,000 to phase out the higher polluting gas engines, Starkey said.
“We’re looking at other strategies,” he said. “Most people are using electric. It is a significant issue.”
He said he’s disturbed at the emphasis on stationary gas engines when the major polluters are trucks and cars.
“We will be getting the cost impact on the district,” he told the board.
J.D. Bramlet, assistant general manager for operations, said the district will be able to meet the new, more stringent standards.
“We can meet it,” he said. “It’s just going to cost us some money. There are a couple of different ways we can go. It’s a complicated issue. We can meet it. It won’t shut us down.”
Starkey will meet with the executive director of the air quality district “to state our case.”
In other action, the board:
•Filed its final response to the Kern County Grand Jury report recommending tighter controls of reserve funds, more scrutiny of expenditures for legal services and more attention to district policy on nepotism.
•Authorized a $1.3 million payment to W. M. Lyles Company for work on the district’s $31 million well field expansion project to cover costs incurred through October. “I think they’re moving along very well,” Bramlet told the board.
Heard a report on discussions with Taft College and the City of Taft regarding the closure of Emmons Park Drive as it curves through the campus. The water district has lines that run through the area and wants to make sure it has access to them.
•Accepted an audit report for 2009-10.
