League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 2, 2004 Election
	Maynard B. Stevenson Answers Questions Candidate for Director; Purissima Hills Water District

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

1. What measures would you take to assure water conservation so the district will meet its requirements?

Ratepayer awareness efforts, eg, billing envelope flyers and newsletter articles are well-worn and perhaps not particularly effective techniques (I always read mine) but I don't have any bright ideas yet. Perhaps using new, or novel means of apprisement, or offering rewards in billing (eg rebates) following a serious long-term conservation effort would be worth considering.

It is more difficult to correct excessive water use than to prevent it in the first place. Every new home built in Los Altos Hills has the potential for extravagant water use (I noticed one "typical" home nearing completion has a 2" water service!) The Town Planning Commission should have an obligation to prevent or at least discourage such use before it occurs by;

Disallowing truly inappropriate landscaping in the context of water
conservation

Insisting on certifiably engineered, reliable, irrigation systems programmed
to optimize water use.

2. Since it is evident that the water district currently exceeds its allotments of Hetch Hetchy water, what proposals do you have for addressing excessive water use by individual homeowners?

I have no magic answers, but if the usual variable billing rates, even exponentially increasing ones aren't effective, then how about a "monthly allotment meter", which shuts off after X units for the most flagrant users, installed and serviced at their cost?

3. Many water agencies in the Bay Area have signed the MOU supporting the California Urban Water Users Association's BMPs (Best Management Practices) for conservation. Would you support Purissima Hills signing the MOU? If not, why not?

I would support PHW signing the MOU.