Funds sought for new Tulloch intake
Article Provided by Calaveras Enterprise

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Calaveras County Water District board of directors Wednesday approved a declaration of emergency to clear the way for a $1.6 million project that will build a new, more drought-resistant water intake in Tulloch Reservoir.

The intake serves 2,500 customers in the Copperopolis area.

For years, the irrigation districts that operate Tulloch Reservoir have been able to keep the lake full or almost full. Because of the drought, Oakdale and South San Joaquin irrigation districts expect after Oct. 1 to draw down the level of the reservoir to serve their customers, which include the cities of Manteca, Lathrop and Tracy.

Just getting the pumps built will take months, said General Manager Dave Eggerton.

Right now, the water intake is about 40 feet below the lake surface. But the lake is expected to be about 70 feet lower by the time it is reduced to its minimum pool.

The new intake will still be about 10 feet below the water surface when the Tulloch Reservoir hits its minimum pool, something that could happen before the end of the year.

In addition to new pumps, the project will also require about 1,700 feet of new pipe, district officials said.

“If we don’t order these pumps soon, we could be in serious trouble,” said Bill Perley, the district’s director of operations.

Eggerton said he hopes that the state government will reimburse the cost for the new intake from its public water system drought emergency funding. But many other communities are also doing work to cope with the looming water shortage, so it is not certain that money will come through.

If the state does not fund the new intake, then CCWD will make it part of the district’s repair and replacement program that is being funded with rate hikes approved two years ago.

​​Contact Dana M. Nichols at dana@calaverasenterprise.com or call 498-2052.

[button_round link=”http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_1a053fc6-fa90-11e4-96d9-2b7a0bc5e55a.html” target=”_blank” background_color=”#3e629e” border_color=”#304b79″ text_color=”#ffffff” ]View Original Article[/button_round][break]