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Published on 07/06/1998 All articles from this issue

Purissima Hills adopts maintenance plan to update system

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By Clyde Noel

Special to the Town Crier

The Purissima Hills Water District Board has approved its 1998-99 budget with a maintenance plan to make improvements on water tanks and piping throughout the district.

Staff workers recently concluded a heavy painting project on water tanks and are now focusing on the hydraulic system.

California Water Service Company, which provides water to Los Altos and parts of Los Altos Hills, proposed to buy out Purissima Hills along with its 10 major water tanks and mechanical equipment earlier this year for $1, but was turned down by the board.

According to Patrick Walter, general manager, once the board tabled plans to sell the water district to Cal Water, the staff started working on future plans. The staff is currently working on a computer model to determine the future of district maintenance and improved service. Once this is complete, the plan will be presented to the district board for action.

At a previous meeting, former board member Maurice R. Johnson reported on a breakfast meeting to which he and other California Water Service stock holders had been invited. Peter Nelson, president and CEO of Cal Water, hosted the meeting. Stockholders living in the Purissima Hills Water District told Nelson the Cal Water offer was not enough to buy out the district.

Walter said he has received few comments about shelving plans on selling the district. The major concerns are customers who want to be sure they will continue to receive high quality water from the Hetch Hetchy water supply. Walter said all district water comes from Hetch Hetchy.

The district is currently working with the Town of Los Altos Environmental Design Committee on adopting a landscaping policy. The committee is interested in adopting a concept that 30-50 percent of landscaping be drought-tolerant native plants. The idea is to educate residents on how to reduce their water use through the use of native plants.

Board President, Dan Alexander, suggested the Environmental Design Committee adopt a water conservation ordinance which could be presented to the Los Altos Hills City Council. Alexander is currently on vacation and the city council has not advised Purissima when they could meet to decide on any cooperate plan