Public hearing set on water program

 The East Bay Municipal Utility District will hold a public hearing on the revised draft environmental impact report for its Water Supply Management Program 2040 Thursday night in San Andreas.

The hearing will be at 6:30 p.m. at the San Andreas Town Hall, 24 Church Hill Road, San Andreas.

 The draft report recommends deferral of a project to enlarge Pardee Reservoir and its removal from the district’s 30-year water plan. The original plan included a controversial expansion of Pardee Reservoir successfully challenged in a lawsuit by the Foothill Conservancy.

The conservancy is urging local residents to attend the EIR hearings.    

“We need to encourage EBMUD to follow the staff recommendation to drop the Pardee expansion,” said Foothill Conservancy Executive Director Chris Wright. “We hope local residents and EBMUD ratepayers will speak up at the hearings and be as gracious in thanking EBMUD for changing course as they have been outspoken in opposing the Pardee expansion.”   

The revised EIR can be found online at www.ebmud.com/our-water/water-supply/long-term-planning/water-supply-management-program-2040.