Candidate for
Member, Board of Directors; Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District; Zone 7

I am a long-time Livermore resident and local winegrower. Water has always been the most important public policy issue facing California. As you may know, we are currently in an emergency drought situation. The current drought has created a situation where we must be proactive by planning and executing our goals. We must take a course of action that allows the consistent delivery of quality water to the service community.

The Livermore Valley agricultural community is an economic engine for the Tri-Valley area and for the State of California. Economic sustainability in our community is key and is vastly dependent upon water; therefore, these water resources must be protected. I am running for Zone 7 because the water agency faces many challenges that have the potential to adversely impact the entire Tri-Valley.

Zone 7 receives 80% of its water from the delta. The magnitude of our current drought situation exposes our fresh water supply to a dangerous increase in salinity. If our water crisis continues and the San Francisco Bay impedes further into the delta, the salinity problem will eventually jeopardize our drinking water as well as the agricultural water used in the Tri-Valley.

Zone 7 receives the other 20% of its water from our ground water basin. We are privileged to have an asset of this magnitude and we are very fortunate that we have the ability to recharge our water basin. I want to make it a priority that we recharge our basin to its full capacity at every opportunity. In the time of drought this is a necessary source of water.

There is an ongoing debate concerning California's water. Some Californians are in favor of more storage of water such as raising dams and expanding reservoirs, while others are in favor of investing in water recycling. I am committed to researching both platforms and providing the community with a better understanding of the pros and cons of each position. In our current state of affairs, this is not a time to argue, but a time to come together to solve the crisis at hand. With my background and experience, I am confident that I can have a positive role on bringing us together to find a solution that will benefit our entire community and future generations. While finding the best solution is crucial, there are strategies we should implement now.

It is imperative that all of us are educated on the issue of conservation. We must reduce our usage of water and focus on preservation. Just as folks reduce spending and save money to prepare for retirement or a financial crisis, we should feel an urgency to do the same with water.

Another major issue is that of nitrates in our groundwater. It is well documented that we have nitrate problems in the Tri-Valley. We cannot ignore this issue. Nitrates affect both our drinking and agricultural water. As nitrites increase in our groundwater, we can no longer use this water. Further, all agricultural growth is severely limited due to dangerous nitrate levels. We must work proactively to educate our community. We must take steps to protect the degradation of our water supply.

The above issues, all of which are not inclusive of the problems before us has inspired me to run for Board of Directors of Zone 7 Water District. If elected, I promise to:

• Work diligently to develop the best drought management plan for our service area
• Educate the public regarding the importance of conservation
• Educate the public on all issues mentioned above. Most importantly any decisions made by the Zone 7 must be made in a transparent manner.
• Ensure that we deliver quality drinking and agriculture water to our community
• Do everything possible to maintain current water rates
• Develop a plan to mitigate our ground water nitrate problem