ROAD WORK UPDATE
Archive for Customer Infomation
Hungry Little Caterpillars Keep Growing
We are finding more Monarch caterpillars everyday in our planters. They are eating a ton of Milkweed and getting bigger with each day. Soon they will get big enough to shape themselves into a J and start spinning a cocoon. From there the transformation from a chubby little caterpillar to a majestic Monarch butterfly will begin.
Answer to the fist picture: 4 Caterpillars are pictured
Earthquakes…You Prepared?
Over this past month we have experienced a few larger sized earthquakes. Luckily for our little mountain town none of them have caused any massive damage here. Earthquakes can be extremely destructive causing down power lines, loss of water, destruction of roads and homes. In the event of a massive quake in our area are we as prepared as we need to be for our survival?
Its great idea to think about how to earthquake proof our home now to minimize the extent of the damage. Starting with anchoring bookcases and large furniture to walls and install latches on drawers and cabinet doors to keep contents from spilling out. Learn more about our community’s disaster preparedness plans. Create a personalized family plan with escape routes and emergency meeting place. Its recommended to establish a contact person to communicate with concerned relatives and it is a good idea that this person be out of state because if all the local lines are tied up they can help. It is important that all adult and teenage family members know where the gas, electric and water main shutoff controls are in your home and how to turn them off if there is a leak or electrical short. Keep the tools necessary for emergency shut offs close by.
Put together an emergency kit and make sure all household members know where it is. Some important items to include in your kit are:
- WATER – 1 gallon of water per person per day for at least 3 days. (Store a longer than 3-day supply of water, if possible).
- FOOD – Store at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable food for all members of your home, including pets. Include a non-electric can opener for canned food.
- FLASHLIGHT/RADIO – You will need to be able to charge these items without electricity. Your flashlight and radio should be either hand-cranked or battery-powered, and stored with extra batteries.
- MEDICAL – Include first aid kit, prescription and non-prescription/over-the-counter medications, and medical supplies.
- SANITATION – Pack supplies for sanitation, such as hand sanitizer, towelettes, paper products, and plastic bags, to use if water resources become limited.
- BATTERIES/CHARGING DEVICE – Include mobile cell charger it should be hand-crank, solar, or able to be charged from a car outlet. Batteries will be necessary for flashlights, radios, etc.
- CLOTHING AND BLANKETS – Long sleeves and long pants, thick-soled shoes, and work gloves to protect yourself after the earthquake, and a sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person, if you live in a cold-weather climate.
- WHISTLE – Include a whistle to signal for help.
- CASH – Store cash in case ATMs are not functioning after the earthquake.
- FIRE EXTINGUISHER – Earthquakes can cause fires to break out; have a fire extinguisher so you can put out any small fires. Use a fire extinguisher only if you are physically capable
SR-74 Update Meeting Scheduled
Four months after the roads washed out and there is only one way on and off the mountain. Many people have questions regarding how much more work is to be done on SR-74 and how much longer will it take to finish. A community meeting has been set for Thursday June 13 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. located at the Idyllwild School gym. The meeting will be hosted by Caltrans and partnered with Mountain Disaster Preparedness and we hope to be given a little more insight, questions answered and a better understanding regarding the finishing of this project.
ACH Automatic Payments
Are you interested in hassle free bill paying? Pine Cove Water District has you covered. The end of credit processing fees, worrying about payment due dates, writing and mailing checks, setting up bill pay with your bank and say good bye to late fees. We now offer ACH automatic payments free of charge that are directly linked to your checking or savings account. Water bills are generated the beginning of every even month and you will still receive a statement of your records that says DRAFT BILL. Payment for your account will be automatically deducted on the 1st of every odd month. (depending on weekends and holidays payment may be after the first) Many have signed up for ACH and we have received overwhelming positive feedback.
Are you ready to sign up for ACH Automatic Payments for your Bimonthly Water bill? Contact us at the office by phone, email or fax. A link for the ACH payment form is also located on our website in the payment section.
Free water saving kits available at PCWD
PCWD offers free water efficiency kit to all our residents! The Water saving kits will continuously assist you in your efforts to conserve our precious water .
Kit includes:
-High-Efficiency Showerhead, saves money by using up to 75% less water than
traditional showerheads.
-Dual Spray Swivel Aerator, offers a 360 degree swivel and has two spray
options.
-TWO Bubble Spray Bathroom Faucet Aerators, designed to accommodate most bathroom
sink faucets.
-Leak Detector Dye Tablets Kit, used to identify leaks in toilet tanks.
-Flow Meter Bag, helps determine the flow of showerheads and faucet aerators.
-Water Conservation wheel is a great educational tool that contains valuable
water saving procedures. -Installation Instructions for easy home installation.
If you are interested in one of these efficiency kits for your home stop by get one or as many as you need for your mountain home.
We also have some ice cream here for our customers to cool down with while the weather heats up. Just some of the many ways we like to show our appreciation to our Pine Cove community.
New Weather Station
Pine Cove Water District has an updated weather station now live on our website. The new weather station shows the current temperature and the high and love of the day. It also displays current wind direction and mph, humidity percentage, daily rain total with seasonal accumulation and barometric pressure. We are very excited to offer this new system to our customers and we hope you enjoy having current and accurate weather readings for right here in Pine Cove. Click Here!
Update On State Route 74
The intense storm that brought great damage to our mountain roads and highways on Valentine’s Day and left the community and tourist with only one rout option off the mountain. Today, We are so excited to see that Caltrans announced an update on the accessibility via State Route 74 from Hemet.
Starting this Easter weekend, Saturday April 20th the SR-74 from Hemet to Mountain Center will be reopening with limited access. Pilot car escort access on the SR-74 is will be available Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st between the hours of 6 a.m. and midnight in both directions. These hours of operation for the pilot car will only be for this coming holiday weekend and another limited schedule will be in effect starting Monday April 22.
As of Monday April 22nd, driving the SR-74 (Mountain Center to Hemet) will be available with limited access by pilot car seven days a week. The Pilot car access will only be available from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and then 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. daily. This will be the continuing work and pilot car schedule until additional work is completed which will eventually open full access with flagging on the SR-74 until the completion of the project.
Be advised that with the limited access opening of SR-74 there are some Conditions that must be followed during the escort process. Per Caltrans announcement:
- Down bound motorists (coming from Mountain Center) on SR-74 for the 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. escort must be in line by 7:45 a.m. or they will not be permitted in the escort process.
- The speed limit will be 25 miles per hour during the escort.
- Motorists will not be permitted to stop or pull over during the escort.
- Motorists will not be permitted to pass other vehicles during the escort.
- The construction zone on SR 74 between Mountain Center and Borco will be a “DOUBLE FINE ZONE”.
- Sections of SR-74 will have uneven, unpaved roadbed with narrow passage. Be advised that dirt, sand, rock and mud will exist on the SR-74. Low profile vehicles are not recommended.
- No drone, video or photos will be permitted while you are using the escorts.
- Motorists must follow all commands given by the pilot workers, contractor employees, flaggers, Caltrans crews and the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
- The escorts can be canceled at any time due to safety concerns for the traveling public such as slope issues, rock fall, roadbed concerns and motorists not following traffic laws or escort provisions.
Travelers will experience delays for the limited access on SR-74. All agencies involved in this massive project are committed to keeping the public safe while traveling on SR-74. The contractor will continue to work 24/7 on SR-74 to continue to expedite repairs in preparation for full access.
SR-243 is open to motorists from Idyllwild to Lake Fulmor. SR 243 remains closed from Banning to Idyllwild until further notice to the public.
Spring News and Updates
Last month, we received a lot of moisture in a short period of time. There was water wasted due to customer valves being left on. We believe all customer leaks have been located and turned off. At least 1.2 million gallons of water was wasted. There are damages from the storm. There are roads to repair and main lines to secure. As weather continues to be warmer and drier, we are preparing to start the necessary repairs to the District roads and facilities. The plan is to accomplish this over the next two to three months and then the District crews will continue our main line project on Pine Ridge, Deer Path and Laurel Trail. Our goal is to tie all the meter connections to the new main line and abandon the old 4” main line. Extensions will continue on Rosaline and Laurel Trail as time and weather allow us, this fall.
A special thanks to Supervisor Washington and his legal assistant Opel Helwig, for their continued support of the PCWD through CSA #38. Many large steamer fire hydrants that have been purchased by CSA #38, are an asset to our community. We will continue to install larger main lines to accommodate these hydrants.
Due to all of the great moisture we received and our anticipation that the ground water levels will improve, effective 4/1/2019, we will be returning to Stage 1 water conservation level, which is “voluntary compliance”. Rates do not change between stages, up or down. Although, as previously approved thru Prop 218 process, a multi-year plan was adopted, and effective 4/1/2019, the bi-monthly rate of $65.00 will increase to $68.00. The increase for the cost per 1000 gallons will show up on your 6/1/2019 billing statement. All charges of the District were based on costs determined by our Engineering firm last year.
MHI Survey: All customers within our District have received two requests from California Rural Water requesting income information. This process is part of the Median Household Income Survey, requested for and paid for by PCWD. Many of you have responded, but If you are not comfortable with doing so, I’m fine with that. I understand. However, a third notice will be sent out in the near future. If you have NOT filled one out before, please do so. We are only 20 responses short to hit the minimum amount needed. If completed, I believe this will save us thousands of dollars a year, and most important, it will improve the opportunity to receive grant funds and low interest loans.
Our Board of Directors and District staff continues to be very transparent. We encourage our customers to visit our website and blog. Viewing both helps you learn and stay informed of whats happening in the Pine Cove Water District. The Board meets monthly, the 2nd Wednesday @ 10:00 am, and as always, the meeting is open to the public. And yes, I continue to have an open door policy and I encourage everyone to call or come see me if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Please!
Unfortunately, our weather station up top at Rocky Point Property has not been working properly. It shows the weather, but not the accumulation of rain/snow. We are in the process of researching options and hoping to have the new system up and running on the website soon. This spring, we will be adding more webcams on our Dutch Flats properties, for wildlife and to aid us in keeping an eye out for trespassers.
Coming up is fiscal year 2019/2020. I don’t anticipate many changes. We plan on continuing our Leak Reward and Rebate Programs, giving away compost and wood chips, being as helpful and transparent as possible to each and every customer.
If you haven’t already, please provide or update your email address with the District Office staff. E-mails are a great tool to help us inform you, of important items and emergencies. Contact the office with your info. We will not sell or give your info to private enterprises.
We can’t stress enough how important it is to shut your water off when you leave your mountain home, located at or near our water meter. You will find it by the green 4’ stake.
Hwy’s 243 and 74 remain closed, estimated to be maybe 4 months until the opening. For up to date info, please go to the Idyllwild Town Crier website.
24-7/365 days a year, one of us will always be on call, for after hour emergencies. Please call 951-294-8282. If you need to get in touch with Becky or Lindsay in the office, please call between 9-4 Mon-Friday at 951-659-2675. If you need to fax anything, our fax # is 951-659-3112. Jerry can be reached at the office number, or on his cell 951-236-9163. Please visit our website and blog at www.pcwd.org.