HIDDEN HILLS WATER MORATORIUM
No New Connections or Credits

Excerpt from MPWMD press release 3-24-2009

Due to an imbalance between allowed water production and the number of lots served, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD), as of Monday, March 23, 2009, shall not accept applications for water for new construction or intensified water use from water delivered by the California American Water (CAW) Hidden Hills Unit. This prohibition does not apply to applications where there is no intensification of water use, such as a remodel project where old water fixtures are replaced by new water-saving models to enable an addition. This prohibition does not apply to homes in the Hidden Hills area that are not served by CAW.

According to MPWMD General Manager, Darby Fuerst, this action is required by MPWMD Rule 40 because the Hidden Hills system has exceeded its Pro Rata Expansion Capacity (PREC), a measurement of the balance between total water produced and the number of connections served. The Hidden Hills system used 99.1% of its annual production allotment in Water Year (WY) 2008 (defined as October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008), but served only 92% of area connections (lots).

“Put simply, existing lot owners have been using more than their fair share. The system is poised to go over its water production limit, which would leave 36 existing legal lots high and dry. The District’s action is needed to give CAW and its Hidden Hills customers time to bring the system back into balance, without burdening the system with new water demand,” said Fuerst. He noted that possible measures include fixing leaks within the system, a variety of conservation programs, and rate adjustments. Fuerst also pledged assistance from the District’s conservation staff, as needed.

The annual water production limit for the Hidden Hills system is 229.9 acre-feet per year (AFY). Actual WY 2008 production was 227.9 AFY or 2.0 AFY short of the limit. However, nine permits totaling a potential water use of 2.745 AFY were approved in WY 2009 to date (October 1, 2008 through March 20, 2009), increasing the risk of the system going over its production limit in water year 2009, and potentially triggering enforcement action pursuant to MPWMD Rule 20.4.

Put simply, the allowed PREC value is 0.482 AFY per connection, which represents the average allowed water production per lot in Hidden Hills. The current average production per lot is 0.521 AFY, or 0.039 AFY more than should be used, or roughly 12,700 gallons per year per lot. At this usage rate, only 441 connections can be served, which means 36 of the 477 total permitted connections cannot be served without exceeding the permitted production limit. Thus, savings by existing customers is needed so all legal lot owners have access to the water supply.

“This problem can be solved,” said Fuerst. “The 12,700-gallon overage per lot equates to about 39 gallons per day. Existing lot owners can find ways to save water, and use their fair share, without adversely impacting their lifestyle.”