By Don Zdeba The week of March 6-12 was National Groundwater Awareness Week, an annual observance established in 1999 to highlight the responsible development, management, and use of groundwater. Over 44% of our nation’s population depends on groundwater as a primary water source. In California, on average, groundwater provides nearly 40% of the water used… Continue Reading “From Record Snow to Extended Drought: Impact on Groundwater”

By Don Zdeba If I were to sum up 2021 with respect to the world of California water it would be two words, legislation and litigation. If the prolonged drought California experienced from 2011 through 2017 taught us anything it was that we needed to adapt to the reality that water is not a limitless… Continue Reading “Legislation and Litigation”

By Don Zdeba Accomplishing the objectives of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) presents significant and sometimes unique challenges. According to the State Department of Water Resources (DWR) Bulletin 118, the Indian Well Valley Basin is one of twenty-one basins characterized as being a “high priority basin in critical overdraft.” Indian Wells Valley presents… Continue Reading “Searching for Solutions”

By Don Zdeba Much like the title of the 2009 film starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin, the groundwater situation in the Indian Wells Valley can be summed up in two words…” it’s complicated.” As one of the 21 basins determined by the California Department of Water Resources (“DWR”) to be in critical… Continue Reading “It’s Complicated”

By Don Zdeba By now you will have received the initial bill from the Water District (“District”) that includes a line entitled “GA Fees”. Due to limited spacing available on our bill, the total listed includes the Groundwater Extraction, or “Pumping”, Fee, and the Replenishment Fee. The Groundwater Extraction Fee, adopted by the Indian Wells… Continue Reading “Achieving Water Sustainability Comes at a Cost”

By Don Zdeba The subject of my columns has always focused on water-related issues. However, as I began to write this, the Governor announced a large part of our state would be subjected to another shutdown order that could last through the holidays impacting an array of activities in areas facing critical care shortages. Eleven… Continue Reading “2020 – A Year Like No Other”

By Don Zdeba The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority (“Authority”) has taken actions recently with regards to fees that will affect customers of the Indian Wells Valley Water District (“District”). These are pass-through fees implemented by the Authority. Though they will appear on your water bill, the money collected goes to the Authority and not… Continue Reading “Impact of IWVGA Fees on District Customers”

By Don Zdeba There is a quote attributed to renowned management theorist Peter Drucker to the effect that “what gets measured gets managed.” That is the foundation of the automated metering infrastructure (AMI) project Indian Wells Valley Water District has recently completed and the companion WaterSmart® customer platform being rolled out this month. By now,… Continue Reading “Water Wise with WaterSmart”

By Don Zdeba “It’s always something” are words Gilda Radner made famous with her character of Roseanne Roseannadanna on Saturday Night Live in the late 70’s. The same can be said for the regulatory world when it comes to water in California. While the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or “SGMA”, has been the hot topic… Continue Reading “It’s Always Something”