Month: November 2024

Our conversation with the state water board:

According to Van Tsang, a supervisor at the State Water Resources Control Board:

Attached is the daily log that PAPMWC is required to submit when Well 7 is in use. According to the log, Wells 5, 6 and 7 currently produce 78 gpm, 280 gpm and 300 gpm, respectively. According to the Source Capacity Planning Study prepared by PAPMWC, dated December 7, 2023, the maximum day demand based on daily water usage data from January 2017 to July 2023 is 593,000 gallons. 

Combined production from Wells 5 and 7, or Wells 5 and 6, cannot meet peak demand during the summer months.  We are uncertain about the fire flow requirements for the community; water systems should work with the local fire marshals to determine the fire flow requirements. 

Yes, production from Wells 6 and 7, together, can meet peak demands.

No, Well 7, alone, cannot meet peak demands.

There is no immediate threat during the fall and winter seasons when water demand is low, unless Well 7 fails. 

No, the maximum day demand does not take into account unusual surge in water demand, like a fire or main break.

Including this incident, the well casing for Well 6 has failed three times in the past 2 years. All the repairs made are temporary and the well can catastrophically fail at any time.

From PAPMWC’s website:

Public Notification Update: Well Activation and Water Quality Advisory

To meet current water demands, Well 7 was activated on November 6, 2024, while Well 6 is temporarily out of service for repairs. Well 7 will only be used if Wells 5 and 6 cannot fully meet system demand.

Please note, the water quality from Well 7 is not as high as from our other wells. In the past, Well 7 has exceeded Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCL) for iron, manganese, and aluminum. These exceedances do not pose a health hazard but may have aesthetic effects such as:

Aluminum: Colored water
Iron: Rusty color, sediment, metallic taste, reddish/orange staining
Manganese: Black to brown color, black staining, bitter metallic taste
We encourage customers to conserve water to reduce strain on the supply. Simple actions like fixing leaks, taking shorter showers, and reducing lawn watering can help.

We appreciate your patience as we work with the State Division of Drinking Water and contractors to drill a new replacement well (Well 3R).

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

City Engineers Recommend Submitting PAPMWC Investigation to the DA’s Office for Possible Enforcement Action!

See Full 175 page Report Here.

Excerpts from the City of East Palo Alto’s Investigation Report:

From Page 175:

“Recommendations: The City and other agencies must take a closer look at the practices of this company. We ask that you consider Business and Professions Code 17200 when evaluating this case. This is why based on our findings, we recommend submittal of this case to the City of East Palo Alto Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office for review and possible enforcement action(s).”

“City property has been damaged by the illegal excavations of PAPMWC. They have been destroying recently paved streets and their patch work does not meet City standards.”

“…customers are being charged “impact fees” by PAPMWC. …After they are well underway with their projects, they receive an unexpected bill and are told to pay or face late fees. When they question PAPMWC, they are simply told that they have no choice but to pay if they want to finish their project. Our residents are being placed in a difficult situation…”

“…this water company has had issues keeping their operations up to minimum standards. In 2016, they received their fourth citation by a state agency in the last three years. The Fire Department, not PAPMWC, had to inform the City that its residents were in a dangerous situation given the poor water pressure in July of 2016. All information received by the City from the Fire Department was claimed to be inaccurate by PAPMWC in follow up correspondence. Their actions during these tense situations further drive the point that they are unwilling to collaborate with the City and a working relationship, for the time being, is a stretch.”

From Page 1:

“This investigation is only the starting point. As it was being conducted, more layers of information, violations and issues were discovered. This investigation has been years in the making and cannot be concluded in a few weeks. The City will continue to document and share violations by PAPMWC with outside agencies.”

O’Connor Tract Water Cooperative serves portions of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park, with approximately 345 hookups (compared to PAPMWC’s approximately 690 hookups). They recently completed a Manganese treatment project that brought their water into compliance with the State Water Resource Board’s secondary water standards, unlike the water in the PAPMWC district, which does NOT meet the standard. (All amounts are from public 990 tax filings.)

Personnel Expenses (including contractors)	PAPMWC	O’Connor Tract Water Cooperative	Difference ($)	% Higher
2022	$515,688	$130,251	$385,437	396%
2021	$546,499	$102,783	$443,716	532%
2020	$512,402	$101,936	$410,466	503%
2019	$488,283	$ 92,518	$395,765	528%
2018	$428,830	$ 77,762	$351,068	551%

Company Made Loans to Family Members Using Shareholder Funds Without Board Approval