Walnut Ranch water system near failure

Troubled waters may be ahead for Walnut Ranch residents as they seek solutions to be rid of unpalatable water or no water altogether.

Residents say high levels of manganese and iron have already destroyed appliances and pipes, discolored sidewalks and home exteriors and are now deteriorating aging septic systems.

“A water heater should last 10 to 15 years,” said Richard Marvel, spokesman for the Walnut Ranch Water Committee. “We’re lucky if we can get one to last five. Now our septic systems are failing. We’re in for serious trouble.”

Other residents, like Becky Buist and Diane Vafis, say they are tired of unsightly mineral deposits destroying everything touched by water that comes from Del Oro Water District’s two wells. Even Del Oro agrees that the water no longer serves the needs of the small community.

“It’s a well known fact that the quality of drinking water in Del Oro’s Walnut Ranch District has been less than optimal for some time,” said Del Oro spokeswoman Susan Howard. “Despite considerable costs incurred by Del Oro over the last three years to repair antiquated pumps, the entire system could fail at any moment.”

Del Oro, a private Butte County water company, acquired the troubled water system from Walnut Ranch Water Company in 2005. Residents now face a possibility that the wells could fail completely, leaving them without water.

But it’s the solution to the problem that has pitted some residents against a company that said a solution was already on its way.

Howard said Del Oro, in the past year, explored several options that would provide good water to its customers, from drilling new wells to constructing a water treatment facility of its own.

“Investigation of various factors, including expenses associated with each option, made it clear that the only viable means of improving the quality of water provided to Walnut Ranch customers would be to connect to existing wells in the Colusa Industrial Park via a 3,500-foot pipeline,” Howard said.

Howard said the company signed an agreement with CIP president Ed Hulbert last week that would have allowed the company to move forward with the emergency intertie project.

“We were ready to go with this,” Howard said. “We could have had it done by August.”

Marvel believes that solution comes too late.

Marvel said the Walnut Ranch Water Committee is now working with local authorities to annex the subdivision into the City of Colusa, a cost of about $3.6 million, paid for through a 40-year, low-interest loan.

Marvel said a tax assessment district would be set up so that the costs are paid through each resident’s property tax bill rather than a monthly service charge.

“Annexation into the city of Colusa is really the only way to go,” Marvel said. “Septic tanks are only good for 20 or 30 years, and they’re that old already. Del Oro can’t supply sewer services, so we would be spending a lot of money anyway to replace the tanks.”

Howard, however, said that Del Oro is confident that once its customers are fully aware of the costs associated with annexation, and the subsequent costs, such as buying out Del Oro’s interests and water and sewer hook-up costs with the city, Walnut Ranch residents will conclude that the most reasonable course of action is the proposed emergency intertie project with Colusa Industrial Properties.

“Either (project) will provide residents with a reliable source of high quality water, but Del Oro’s emergency intertie project can be accomplished at a fraction of the cost, even if residence chose to replace their septic tanks,” Howard said. “If they choose to annex, they will still have the added cost of digging up or filling their septic tanks so they are permanently put out of use.”

Marvel, however, is not backing down.

“We would still have to annex eventually,” he said. “We may as well do it now at today’s dollars than wait until tomorrow and do it at tomorrow’s dollars.”

Del Oro’s concern in that the time it takes for the customers to annex, the current system could fail, leaving residents without water altogether.

Howard said Del Oro would proceed with the emergency intertie project in the meantime, but Marvel’s complaint (on behalf of the residents) to the California Public Utilities Commission has halted the project.

“ A consequence of the complaint is that a formal, time consuming CPUC hearing will be required, during which the judge will listen to what ratepayers have to say about the matter,” Howard said. “What residents do not likely realize is that the cost of such proceedings are generally absorbed by the ratepayers by way of increased utility costs. This could be avoided if Mr. Marvel simply withdrew the complaint.”

Howard said it was not Del Oro’s intention to impress its will upon the residents, but rather to act only on the course of action determined by the residents.

“We will proceed with the emergency intertie projects only if the residents support this particular course of action,” Howard said.

Contact Susan Meeker at 458-2121 or smeeker@tcnpress.com.