This notice regards:
ITEMS TO NOTE
Holiday Office Closure and Water Ordering Procedures
District offices will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2020, in observance of Labor Day. The affected water ordering deadlines are as follows:
| For Water Use On | Place Water Order By |
| Saturday, September 5 or Sunday, September 6 | Friday, September 4, 9:30 a.m. |
| Monday, September 7 or Tuesday, September 8 | Friday, September 4, noon |
The emergency telephone number for after hours and holidays is (559) 224-1523.
Westlands Water District 2020 General Election – Office of Director
The Westlands Water District 2020 General Election is scheduled on November 3, 2020. The election is for the office of Director. Five seats must be filled. The election will be conducted as an allmail ballot election. There will be no polling places, although ballots may be dropped off at the District’s Fresno office prior to the election or up to 8:00 p.m. on November 3, 2020. Ballots will be mailed to each District landowner on or about Monday, October 5, 2020. The election envelope mailed to landowners
will include the official ballot, voting instructions, candidate statements, and an Authorization to Vote/Appointment of Proxy form.
A 2020 General Election specific notice will be sent to landowners within the next two weeks. This election specific notice will include more information and instructions for completing and returning ballots, appointing and voting by proxy, and designating representatives. Landowners are encouraged to read this upcoming election specific notice, to contact the District with questions, and most importantly, to vote!
For further information and assistance, please contact Jessie Xiong at (559) 241-6212, Bobbie Ormonde at (559) 241-6203, the Fresno Main office at (559) 224-1523, or the toll-free line at (800) 266-6574.
Land-Based Charges September Installment
The September installment of the 2020-2021 Land-Based Charges is due September 25, 2020. A penalty will be added to unpaid charges on the day following the payment due date. Please contact the District at (559) 241-6250 for additional information about Land-Based Charges.
2020-2021 Supplemental Water Application – Response May Be Required
As of August 13, the total request for 2020-2021 Supplemental Water was 125,123 acre-feet on 274,228 acres. The estimated Supplemental Water delivered cost will range from $680 – $710 per acre-foot. The District has acquired approximately 118,000 acre-feet. Allocations of Supplemental Water began in June, and the timing and amounts of expected allocations for the year are shown in the table below. This schedule will be updated monthly to reflect additional supplies and/or changes to the timing for delivery.
| Allocation Month | Amount (acre-feet) |
| June – Actual | 55,000 |
| July – Actual | 0 |
| August – Estimated | 34,000 |
| September – Estimated | 10,000 |
| October – Estimated | 15,000 |
| November – Estimated | 0 |
| December – Estimated | 3,000 |
Advance payment for acquisition costs of the water is required at the time of allocation, while operation and maintenance related costs will be billed when the water is used. The allocation advance payment will apply toward the delivered Supplemental Water rate. If an advance payment is delinquent for 30 days or more, the District may withdraw the water allocated to a water user and reduce the water user’s outstanding request by the same amount. The water will be allocated to water user accounts as Project or non-Project water (if available), allowing Full-Cost rates to be applied as required by Reclamation law.
Because requests for Supplemental Water currently exceed supply, the District will accept reductions to existing requests on a first come, first served basis until Supplemental Water requests and supply are equal. If you would like to submit a late request for the Supplemental Water program, please complete the agreement, included in the February 28, 2020 Landowner Notice, and return it to the Fresno Office. Late requests will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, after timely requests are filled. Please direct questions regarding either reductions to existing requests or submittal of late requests to your Customer Accounting Technician at (559) 241-6250.
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Update
The Advisory Committee (AC) and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will hold its first quarterly meeting on August 27, 2020 via video call at 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., respectively. The agendas for the AC and TAC meetings will be posted on the District’s website calendar next week. For more information regarding the AC and TAC, please contact Kiti Campbell at (559) 241-6226 or kcampbell@wwd.ca.gov.
GWMP Meter Installation and Well Modifications
The District would like to remind water users that staff is currently installing District owned saddle mag meters on groundwater wells that are enrolled in the Groundwater Management Program (GWMP). The District is complying with a schedule established in the Westside Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for installation of the meters. There have been instances where saddle mag meters were removed and replaced with a water user’s meter, without District knowledge. Given the timeline for installing meters on all wells within the District, staff asks that water users work closely with District operators to ensure that District owned meters can be installed. Please report meter issues, and do not remove or replace District owned meters.
Please inform the District if you plan to stop operating a well, in order for District staff to plan the meter installation and/or discharge piping modifications. If the well discharge piping requires modifications, then staff will coordinate with water users on the changes. Communicating this information is critical to meeting the GSP schedule. For questions related to well modifications, contact the Alex Young at (559) 884-2523 or ayoung@wwd.ca.gov.
WATER SUPPLY
2020-2021 CVP Contract Allocation
On May 19, 2020, the Bureau of Reclamation announced an increase in the 2020-2021 Central Valley Project (CVP) allocation from 15% to 20% for south-of-Delta agricultural water service contractors. This is likely the final allocation for 2020-2021 contract water year.
2020-2021 Water Supply Update
The CVP currently has approximately 6.3 million acre-feet of water stored in northern CVP reservoirs; this represents 96% of the 15-year average. Shasta Reservoir storage is approximately 2.4 million acrefeet; 89% of the 15-year average. Federal storage in San Luis Reservoir is 214,000 acre-feet; 82% of the 15-year average. Jones Pumping Plant has operated at about 95% capacity this month.
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Water Ordering and Meter Turn Off
Water users must comply with the District’s water ordering procedures. Conveyance capacity through many laterals is constrained and District staff determines lateral demand based on water orders. When demand exceeds the capacity of the lateral, the entire lateral is adversely affected, and water service can be lost for all users on the lateral. To properly operate and maintain the District’s water distribution system, and to a larger extent the Central Valley Project, water users are required to place proper water
orders in accordance with District’s Terms and Conditions for Agricultural Water Service.
Further, water users who are found to be running without an order will have their meter(s) turned off pursuant to Article 2, Section 2.6.H of the District’s Rules and Regulations (PDF). In addition, meters found running without a valid water order may be subject to a portion of, or entire lateral, monitoring fee of $647.31. Accurate water orders are also critical for reference if a meter malfunctions or varies from a standard calibration range. Your monthly billing can be directly affected by the accuracy of your water orders.
The schedule for placing water orders is as follows: water orders for Tuesday through Saturday must be placed the prior day between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m., by telephone or fax. Orders placed over the website are accepted until 10:00 a.m., for the following day. Water orders for Sunday and Monday must be placed by noon the preceding Friday, either by phone, fax, or website. Orders may be placed by calling (559) 241-6250 or (800) 266-6574, by Fax (559) 241-6276, or online through your water user account at wwd.ca.gov. To set up a Westlands online account, please contact your Customer Service Representative at (559) 241-6250.
E-Statement Availability
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many District staff are working from home. Therefore, you will not receive paper statements from the District for the near future. To access your monthly Statement of Account and Water Activity Report, please login to your Westlands Water District web account, select Menu, then E-Docs. To ensure your payment is correctly applied to your account(s), always include your account number(s) on your check and/or the remittance stubs from the top section of your monthly billing statement(s).
The District also offers an Automatic Bill Payment (ABP) option for paying your monthly agricultural water bill. Participation in ABP will ensure your payment is always timely and avoids penalty, interest, or monitoring charges due to late payments. The ABP authorization form is available on your Westlands Water District web account by selecting Menu, then Forms, and Automatic Bill Payment Authorization. If you have any questions, please contact the Customer Accounting Department at (559) 241-6250.
Office Communication During COVID-19 Pandemic
Westlands Water District requests that water users conduct all District related business via phone and email, in lieu of visiting District offices. The District’s Fresno and Five Points offices will remain open during regular business hours. The District is following guidelines announced by the Whitehouse and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to slow the spread of the virus. District staff will monitor the developments closely and seeks to maintain the safety of employees, water users, and the public.
Westlands will continue its commitment to water users by providing timely and reliable water services. Please contact District staff if you have questions. Contact the main office by phone: (559) 224-1523, or email: info@wwd.ca.gov. The District will provide notices to landowners and water users should District operations be further impacted by Federal or State recommendations to slow the spread of the virus.
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Summer Hours of Operation
Effective June 15, the Five Points Shop and Field Office (including TFO, HFO and PVPP), commenced summer hours of operation, from 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. All other District offices and operations will remain unchanged and open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The emergency telephone number for after hours and holidays is (559) 224-1523.
Annual Painting Projects
District staff is currently scheduling the Annual Painting Projects. This year the District plans to paint the exterior of the 7-1, 13L, 13R-A, 26L Pumping Plants and the interior and exterior of the 26R and 3R Regulating Tanks. Each pumping plant and regulating tank will experience periods of limited and no service. The planned work is scheduled for this fall and will be coordinated with the contractor and water users on each affected lateral.
14-5.5 Pipeline Replacement
Staff is planning for the replacement of a two-mile section of pipeline on the 14-5.5 Subline this winter. The pipeline will be replaced immediately adjacent to the existing pipe. It is anticipated that the contractor will require approximately three weeks of service interruption to make the necessary connections. We are currently working on a detailed schedule with the Contractor and will coordinated with all affected water users on this subline.
Planned Maintenance Shutdown Schedule 2020
The following table lists the District’s planned pumping plant and system maintenance schedule for the next 45 to 60 days. Shutdown notices for scheduled work are sent to affected water users in advance of each shutdown. If water users are not receiving these notices, please contact your customer service representative to update your contact information. Please, see the table below:
| Lateral(s) Impacted | Date(s) | Scheduled Work | Notes |
| 17R | 8/25 | Aquatic Growth Treatment | 17R-B & 17R-C Reservoir Treatment 7:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| Entire Coalinga Canal | 9/9 to 9/10 | Aquatic Growth Treatment | 100 CFS Limited Capacity – 24 Hour |
| 1R-4.0C & D Reaches | 9/17 | Aquatic Growth Treatment | 1R-4.0D Reservoir Treatment 7:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| 2R | 9/23 | Aquatic Growth Treatment | 2R-A & 2R-B Reservoir Treatment 7:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| 17R | 9/30 | Aquatic Growth Treatment | 17R-B & 17R-C Reservoir Treatment 7:00 am – 5:00 pm |
Advance Notice of 2020-2021 Quinquennial Inspection and Repair Shutdown Schedule
The following table lists the District’s planned pumping plant system inspection and repair shutdown schedule for fiscal year 2020-2021. If you have questions or feedback regarding these shutdowns, please contact the District’s Maintenance Scheduler, Jimmy Weedin at (559) 884-2523 ext. 108.
2020-2021 Quinquennial Shutdown Schedule
| Week | Division Valves | Pumping Plants |
| September 14, 2020 | 25L | |
| September 21, 2020 | 32-2.0 | 32L |
| September 28, 2020 | PV4 | |
| October 5, 2020 | 23R | |
| October 12, 2020 | PV6 | |
| October 19 2020 | 31L | |
| October 26, 2020 | 6-1 & 6-2 | |
| November 2, 2020 | Replace 3-2.7 Slide Gate | 3L |
| November 16, 2020 | Repair Bypass Valve at 7RA | 7RA, 7RB, 7RC, 7RD |
| December 7, 2020 | 11R | |
| December 14, 2020 | 4L | |
| January 11, 2021 | 17RA, 17RB, 17RC | |
| January 25, 2021 | 33-2.0 | 33L |
| February 1, 2020 | 22L | |
| February 8, 2020 | 24L |
RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
2020-2021 Groundwater Pumping and Conveyance Project
The District is pursuing approvals to operate the Groundwater Pumping and Conveyance Project, commonly known as the Canal Integration Program (CIP), if the CVP allocation is 20% or less. If the CIP is approved, it will operate until the end of the calendar year. Participating groundwater wells must collect and conduct initial and ongoing water quality testing to determine if the wells meet the required water quality standards, including the following:
- Title-22 water quality analysis (required every 3 years);
- Testing for specific constituents of concern prior to start-up and weekly for the first four weeks;
- Monthly testing for specific constituents of concern in the second month
Interested water users should contact District staff due to testing laboratory and sampling requirement changes.
Groundwater levels will also be monitored. If a well does not meet the groundwater level standards, then the well cannot participate in the CIP program. The Draft Initial Study/Negative Declaration (IS/ND) will be prepared and circulated for 30 days for public comment. Thereafter, a Final IS/ND will be prepared that responds to comments received, if any, and will be presented to the Board for possible certification and approval of the Project.
Water users interested in participating in the CIP and testing their wells in anticipation of an approved CIP, should contact David Vang at (559) 241-6202 or dvang@wwd.ca.gov.
Lands Available for Lease
The District has several parcels for lease in Fresno and Kings counties. For a list of available land, please contact Cork McIsaac of Agriculture Industries, Inc. at (916) 372-5595 or (800) 822-1415.