Russian River Utility
Definition of Terms
A publicly-owned water system, organized under state statute, directors are elected by registered voters living within the district boundary. This type of district is usually a special purpose agency, providing water and/or sewer services. Directors’ meetings are open to the public.
A publicly-owned water system governed by the County Board of Supervisors. Budgets, charges and capital improvements are scheduled by the Supervisors.
CSD is a publicly-owned water system, organized under state statute. Directors are elected by registered voters living within the district boundary. This type of district also provides other services such as sewer, fire, recreation, street lightening, etc. Directors’ meetings are open to the public.
A non-profit water company; each customer is a shareholder. Officers are elected by the company’s shareholders.
An investor-owned water company is operated under the rules and regulations of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
Gallons of water measured in one minute.
Million gallons produced in one day.
The fixed charge collected with the monthly water bill, sometimes referred to as a “base charge,” “service charge,” or “meter charge.” This charge is required to pay for the water system costs which are not related to the cost of pumping and delivering water. Cost items may be system improvements, insurance, contract costs, administration fees, and a portion of the labor costs. This fixed cost is higher per service for small water systems with a limited customer base.
This is the usage charge commonly charged at a cost per 1,000 gallons, or per 100 cubic feet. The cost of producing, treating, and servicing each customer account is included in this charge. Other costs include power costs, chemicals, testing, and in some cases, the purchase of water from another agency.
PPM is used to determine the quantity of a specific chemical, organic compound, or dissolved material within a water system. The quantity is parts per million, i.e. 1 lb of a specific chemical within a million gallons of water.
Water pumped from properly developed wells.
Water pumped directly from streams, surface springs, and wells which were not properly developed and may be under the influence of surface water.
A water treatment plant may consist of simply disinfecting ground water or may include filtration and disinfection of surface water.
The EPA and DDW have established minimum concentration of lead and copper at the point of use. If the produced water is aggressive, it may dissolve small quantities of the brass faucets or copper pipes within the residence. Each water system periodically tests water samples at the customer’s sink to determine if treatment is required or if it is operating satisfactorily.
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. This consists of remote monitoring and control of pumps and tank levels and alarms. Russian River Utility uses this program and collects remote data by cell phone communication. Pump failures and loss of water after office hours are automatically sent to the operators’ cell phones.
