Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

CWA approves new water audit contract with Mission RCD

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The San Diego County Water Authority has approved a new contract with the Mission Resource Conservation District to administer the SDCWA’s WaterSmart Field Services Program.

The Thursday, Oct. 27, CWA board action authorized CWA general manager Sandra Kerl to enter into a three-year professional services agreement with the Mission RCD which will pay $200,000 for administration of the WaterSmart Field Services Program through Oct. 31, 2025. The authorization also includes an option for a two-year extension which can be ratified administratively rather than by CWA board approval.

The WaterSmart Field Services Program includes residential surveys, landscape audits, irrigation checkups and follow-up irrigation controller visits. The residential surveys provide homeowners with a full-service indoor and outdoor water efficiency evaluation which identifies fixtures which could be replaced or repaired to be more efficient and provides other water-saving recommendations. The residents receive reports outlining the observations and recommendations including an irrigation schedule.

Full landscape audits assess the outdoor irrigation efficiency at large commercial, industrial and institutional properties. Participants can receive a multi-page report with a water budget for the site, a list of water saving recommendations and an estimate of potential savings and participants have the option to receive a shorter version of the full audit which includes an irrigation schedule and a list of field observations and recommendations. CWA member agencies may choose to participate in the regional program, provide program services or “self-perform” within their service areas, or opt out of the program.

The CWA has been contracting with the Mission RCD to operate agricultural water management services since 1990. In 1991, the CWA expanded its program to include residential surveys and full landscape audits. Honeywell International Inc. was selected as the Smart Landscape Program contractor in 2004, and Honeywell utilized the Mission RCD as a subcontractor to provide field services.

The CWA entered into a direct contract with the Mission RCD to provide field services in 2009, and the CWA also awarded contracts with option years in 2011 and 2015. In 2017, the two-year contract awarded in 2015 was amended to extend the term through June 2019. A May 2019 CWA board action approved a three-year contract through June 30, 2022, and an amendment extended the contract to Oct. 31, 2022.

The CWA chose the Mission Resource Conservation District for the new contract due to the RCD’s understanding of water agency needs as well as the needs of both small and large landscape customers and the experience and capabilities of the RCD’s administration, inspection, outreach and web services team members.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 
Rendered 03/28/2024 21:53