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Council hears staff update on water-rights talks with Watermaster and South Coast Water
Summary
City staff told the council the city will meet with the Watermaster and South Coast Water to discuss perfecting Dunes City's long-standing water right and options for South Coast to attach to or manage service; staff warned permit amendment deadlines and costs limit mid-February changes.
City staff told the Dunes City Council on Jan. 21 that the city will meet soon with the Watermaster and South Coast Water Service to explore whether South Coast can connect to the city's longstanding water right and expand its service area.
"So we will be meeting very soon with the, Watermaster and, South Coast Water," a staff member said, explaining that many parcels in the city lack pumps at the lake and that South Coast has capacity and may seek to "tag onto our water right and maybe manage and be able to build a bigger system." The staff member said the effort aims to "perfect our water right," which dates to the 1960s, and to give property owners reservations for future service.
Council members asked whether current customers would be required to join a new system and whether homes are typically lakefront or served by wells; staff replied that existing customers' water rights remain intact and any changes would affect future hookups. On permit timing, staff warned the council that the city is in the middle of a state permit amendment and "we can't make any changes mid-February," noting amendments cost the city and it is trying to capture as many future-reservation requests as possible before that deadline.
The staff member said the city lacked complete records of which properties use lake diversion points and has sought state help to update files and map service areas. The council did not take formal action on the water-rights item during the open meeting.
