AWA Misleads Public About Camanche Well #14

The Lake Camanche water system is important to all Amador Water Agency (AWA) customers because of the way the AWA Board of Directors betrayed Camanche residents. AWA reported to the Supervisors that the well was “offline” when it was in fact operating normally. A public records request uncovered that the well had been in operation for six months, including the time the Directors were asking for a grant from the County to repair the well.

In late 2010, AWA claimed that a problem developed with a crucial well (Number 14) and water rationing would be required in the summer of 2011 unless the Camanche ratepayers agreed to higher rates. AWA also claimed that the Camanche system was continually losing money because the revenues from water sales were less than the operating costs (indicating that the rates were too low).

A workshop was held and the representatives of the Lake Camanche Village Owners Association (LCVOA) informed the AWA Directors that they believed the Camanche ratepayers would pay a special assessment to repair the well and would agree to a 10% rate increase for operations. AWA presented a financial plan that showed that a rate increase was necessary, and AWA blamed increased operating costs on inflation. Some of the figures in the financial plan had actually gone down, not up, so the representatives asked to see the detailed costs associated with their water system. That request for information was also submitted in writing.

The workshop was held on March 11, 2011 and AWA did nothing until May, when four more workshops were held in the Camanche area. The local residents attending those workshops were unanimous in their support of the plan discussed in March. Everyone thought an assessment to repair the broken well, and certain other broken equipment was fair, and they also agreed that the water rates needed to be high enough to raise enough revenue to operate their system. The only sticking point was that every one of the Directors was aware that AWA was refusing to disclose what the operating costs really were.

A Board meeting was scheduled to be held in Camanche, but only one Director showed up. At that meeting, AWA first disclosed that it was not considering an assessment, but rather a fee. The difference is that an assessment can only be used for the purpose for which it is raised, while a fee can be used for any purpose related to the water system, regardless what the ratepayers were told. Also, with the assessment, Camanche ratepayers would have been able to vote separately on the rate increase. With the fee, they would have to protest both the fee and rate increase, or accept both. That was an important point because the Directors refused to disclose what the real costs of providing service are.

The Board subsequently approved the combined fee and rate increase. The Directors continued to assert that the rates were too low, even though they were not willing to let anyone else see what the costs actually are. However, no action was taken to actually impose the rate increase- very likely because the Directors believe their refusal to disclose the actual costs would lead the ratepayers to block the increase with a Proposition 218 (P218) protest.

Nothing happened until late July. On July 29, the California Department of Public Health agreed that Well 14 could be returned to full production. AWA immediately started pumping water at a rate equal to 60% of the highest rate ever attained for the well. No repairs had been made, and no explanation has ever been given for how the well could repair itself.

On August 9, 2011, two AWA Directors and the General Manager appeared before the Amador County Board of Supervisors to request financial assistance to repair the well. AWA reported to the Supervisors that the well was “offline” when it was in fact operating normally.

The truth about Well 14 did not become public until early 2012. At an AWA Board meeting in February, a question from the audience elicited the information that the well was in production. A subsequent public records request was needed to discover that the well had been in operation for six months, including the time the Directors were asking for a grant from the County to repair the well.