Board approves Watermaster response to PAC on Calleguas in‑lieu purchase, staff seeks clarifications on charges and timing
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Summary
The board approved a staff response to the Policy Advisory Committee recommendation on purchasing imported water from Calleguas for basin replenishment but directed staff to seek clarity on Calleguas' capacity and readiness‑to‑serve charges, seasonal timing and allocation accounting before implementation.
Dr. Farai Kaseke, agency staff, presented a Watermaster response to the Policy Advisory Committee's recommendation report on an in‑lieu program to purchase imported water from Calleguas Municipal Water District for basin replenishment. The board voted to approve the Watermaster response report, but members requested additional clarity before any implementation.
Kaseke said the in‑lieu concept—delivering imported Calleguas water to reduce local pumping—has precedent in the region and could increase groundwater levels where needed. The PAC recommendation described how purveyors would contract for deliveries and recommended implementing the program during the low‑demand period; staff generally agreed the approach is feasible but flagged several items that need additional detail.
Staff requested clearer information about how Calleguas would apply administrative charges (capacity charges and readiness-to-serve charges) in high and low periods so full costs can be calculated, and noted a difference of about 1,200 acre-feet between a Calleguas estimate and the agency's staff estimate for a particular allocation accounting calculation. Staff also noted the initial scope appears limited to a small set of wells owned by Ventura County Waterworks District and Zone Mutual Water Company and said it will need policy direction on how to treat basin assessments for parties already paying replenishment fees to United Water Conservation District.
Board members asked staff to seek additional PAC clarification on charges, confirm whether receiving entities are existing Calleguas customers, and explore whether United Water Conservation District might contribute replenishment funds collected on behalf of certain stakeholders to reduce assessment impacts on other pumpers. One board member said the concept is “actionable” and praised the use of existing infrastructure.
The board voted to receive and file the presentation and to approve the Watermaster response report to PAC, and staff will solicit the clarifications and return with recommended next steps and any assessment policy proposals.
