DSRSD Board's Record on Key Issues

By Thomas W. "Tom" Ford

Here is the Board's record for the last eight years. I discuss seven key issues important to voters.

The Valley Times reported DSRSD water and sewer rates were up to 60 % higher than Pleasanton and Livermore.. The Dublin City Council, responding to strong public pressure, appointed a Citizens Rate Review Task Force. They confirmed the high rates and recommended a list of ways to reduce expenses and lower rates. Under pressure, DSRSD reduced rates to be comparable to Pleasanton and Livermore. However, DSRSD did not follow most of the Task Force ideas to reduce costs.

B. Malfunctioning Sewer Plant

The sewer plant is the largest function at DSRSD, the most costly, and the largest employer. After years of technical problems, and stinking up the neighborhood, DSRSD finally started a major plant upgrade costing about $40 million. The project is currently in progress and hopefully will correct the problems - and most of the smell. They also organized a Bio-Solids Task Force to determine the best way to dispose of the treatment plant solids. This is the most difficult and costly problem for most sewer plants. Tom Ford is serving on this Task Force.

C. Reverse Osmosis ( RO ) and Toilet - to -Tap

In 1997 the incumbents voted to spend $6.9 million to build a plant using RO technology to filter waste water (toilet water) and inject it into our drinking water supply (aquifer). The proposed injection was illegal according to the CA water code (civil law). However the incumbents repeatedly voted more money, another $20 million, to complete the RO plant.

Public opinion was strongly against the project (two Zone 7 surveys 70% against) (one Pleasanton advisory vote 73% against). Several years of lawsuits by Pleasanton and Zone 7 finally resulted in a judge suspending the permit. He ordered new hearings and a Regional Water Quality Control Board vote. After 5 years of public and legal pressure the DSRSD board, in August 02, moved quietly to change the RO project description to remove the injection section. This change is obviously intended to take the political heat off of the incumbents before the November 02 election. The incumbent directors have been consistent and strong supporters of the plan to inject Toilet to Tap water into your drinking water supply.

If the incumbents are reelected the old board will still have a majority that has supported recycled sewage in your drinking water for over five years. They have spent about $26 million of your money to build this RO plant. It does not benefit regular ratepayers. It's an expensive insurance policy to help east Dublin developers avoid sewer flow volume restrictions, so they could build an additional 1000 houses.

The plant has never been used or needed for this purpose. The incumbents have spent (or wasted) about 2 years of your DSRSD billing payments on this project. Now they ask you to reward them with reelection. Challenger Tom Ford has been strongly opposed to this project since 1997. The incumbents have supported it (with your money) since 1997.

D. Export Pipelines ( Supersewer? )

The incumbents strongly supported a major project for 2 pipelines over the hill to export valley wastewater to the Bay. Livermore voted to remain out of this project, which increased the proportional cost to DSRSD. The DSRSD board did not give you a democratic chance to vote. There are good reasons why the 2 pipe project is an uneconomic $200 million investment.

For example: The city of Santa Rosa CA had a similar problem about 20 years ago but solved it by selling the (secondary treated) wastewater to nearby farmers for irrigation. The DSRSD board ignored this good (and inexpensive) example of Santa Rosa. They voted to spend $200 million of your money on a project that will have little use if the Tri-Valley Business Council (Vision 2010) Agricultural Water Enhancement Plan is implemented, or if DERWA, serving Contra Costa County, takes more recycled water. Voting to repair the old pipeline now, and waiting to see if the new pipeline will really be needed would have been more prudent financially.

Also, they said the big pipeline capacity was needed because we did not have winter storage. A few weeks after the financing for the big project was approved it was discovered that some of the mined-out gravel pits were available with adequate capacity for winter storage. These pits have been part of such plans for 20 years. This timing looks like a real con job to pressure for the approval of the pipeline financing.

So, the DSRSD incumbents are guilty of spending on big , costly, projects that have questionable value. They waste your money, vote against your preferences and now ask that you reward them with reelection.

E. Term Limits

Dublin, and many other CA jurisdictions have adopted term limits, most often 8 years. Neither of the incumbents could run this time if term limits applied to DSRSD.

F. Water Supply

The directors were elected to protect and serve the DSRSD voters, not developers outside of Alameda County. Despite voter concerns about water shortages, DSRSD and Zone 7 proposed to extend water service outside Alameda County to Dougherty Valley and 14,000 houses. A lawsuit developed. In a preliminary ruling a judge ruled the DSRSD/ Zone 7 proposal not legal.

After mediation and negotiations the developer was forced to purchase a new and separate water supply, and store it outside of Zone 7, to supply the 14,000 houses in Dougherty Valley. If the DSRSD board had not been prevented by lawsuit, and a legal ruling, they would have forced Dublin voters to share their water supply with another 14,000 houses in Dougherty Valley, in Contra Costa County. Tom Ford strongly opposed DSRSD water service to the Dougherty Valley.

G. South San Ramon Sewer

The Dougherty Valley developers, working with Central Sanitary Sewer Authority, proposed to put a large raw sewage pipeline and enlarged pumping station on Estero Drive. This was very unpopular with south San Ramon residents. They tried to stop it. The DSRSD San Ramon seat board member said DSRSD could do nothing. The pipe is going in. Many people in south San Ramon believe more could have been done by DSRSD to protect them. Tom Ford attempted to stop the pipe, including appealing to the Pleasanton Council and other efforts.

Summary

Higher rates.

Malfunctioning sewer plant.

Wasting millions on RO plant.

Toilet-to-Tap.

Denied DSRSD voters a chance to vote on the pipeline.

Term limits like Dublin.

Trying to give Dublin and Zone 7 water to Dougherty Valley.

San Ramon sewer project on Estero.

Despite this poor record of unwise big spending, inviting expensive lawsuits, and often acting against the interest of DSRSD voters, they voted themselves a 20% pay increase. Before the raise they were already the highest paid board in the Tri-Valley.

One incumbent became famous for drawing a full days pay for watching a parade.

The Valley Times, before the last election, said that the DSRSD Board has broken the social contract with the voters by not following the will of the voters, but rather their own interests. The Times recommended that all three incumbents be voted out. Two were replaced. This election has the remaining two old board incumbents running for reelection. Does the record described above warrant their reelection?

Tom Ford