Letter: Water district hypocrisy over water conservation

EDITOR,
Is it hypocrisy to tell ratepayers to conserve, while San Lorenzo Valley Water District has profusely leaking tanks and pipes throughout their district?
SLVWD estimates leaks in five rotting, antiquated tanks equal ¼ million gallons per month. The “Probation” tank leaks about 3,200 gallons daily.
Scenic Way’s tank looks like a shower going 24-7, water streaming onto the road. These ancient rotting tanks should’ve been replaced decades ago, as stated in SLVWD’s 1997 Capital Improvement Plan.
Yet, after multiple rate hikes, including 14 percent in January 2014, this board keeps giving excuses and applying band-aid upon band-aid to a wasteful hemorrhaging system.
The old pipes leak more than the tanks. Director Rapoza said recently that it takes time and money to replace tanks. He’s been on the Board 14 years, alongside Mr. Prather, and Mr. Vierra, raising rates several times.
Why lame excuses still? Meanwhile, the marshland on which they wasted $2.2 million ratepayer dollars sits idle, purchased to build their boondoggle grand campus including 1,000 square foot director’s office and exclusive marshland gasoline station.
They could fix a lot of rusting pipes and replace rotting tanks by selling that marshland they overpaid $2.2 million for. They just keep holding that idle property, hoping still to sneak their marshland campus vote when the public isn’t looking. They prefer ratepayers $9.5 million deeper in debt to build their campus.
They’re reviewing their campus building plan soon, against logic, and against ratepayers. SLVWD chooses to ignore fixing our leaking tanks and avoids increasing system capacity, while they’re assimilating the basket-case Lompico Water District.
SLVWD raised rates yearly and large increases are booked for the next two years, with perhaps additional rate hikes they can blame on drought. Meanwhile, SLVWD’s board and District Manager Jim Mueller are massively wasting water, while they tell us to conserve.
Nick Naccari, Felton