Your Water is Our Promise: The CVWD Blog

CVWD Board of Directors reduced turf rebate incentives from $3 per square foot to $2 per square foot at its May 23 meeting. 

The increased rate was set in April 2022 as part of the District’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan. In later months, the cities of Indian Wells, Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage approved matching rebate funds. Indian Wells and Palm Desert have exhausted their funds. Rancho Mirage will continue to offer a $3 per square foot incentive until funds run out. 

CVWD customers whose turf rebate application is in the process will remain eligible for the $3 per square foot incentive if their applications are completed by June 30. As of May 23, new applications will be eligible for $2 per square foot.

Through May 5, 2023, CVWD’s Conservation Programs paid $9.3 million to customers for converting approximately 3.1 million square feet of turf. About $5.3 million in remaining approved turf conversion projects for 1.7 million square feet will bring the total awarded to $14.9 million since April 2022.  

 In other matters: 

• The Board recognized the retirement of Director of Environmental Services Steve Bigley, 34 years, who attended the meeting. Other retirements were noted for Welding Crew Chief Ty Murga, 24 years; Auto Shop Supervisor Matt Loutsenhizer, 20 years; and Electronic Technician Jeff Verlenich, 6 years. 
• CVWD will pay Imperial Irrigation District $515,775 to bring reliable power to the Mid-Canal Storage Project site. IID will install 75 power poles along the canal access road for 2 miles, a transformer, and a meter drop.
• The $20 million, 6-year SCADA Master Plan Program that replaced a 30-year-old system accomplished its objectives. 

 Key accomplishments:

1. New SCADA system for Coachella Canal, Domestic Water, Nonpotable, Groundwater, Sanitation and Irrigation infrastructure
2. New microwave wide-area network
3. New SCADA system at three wastewater reclamation plants 
4. New security system
5. Two new radio towers and 54 new microwave links
6. Two new control rooms, a new data center and emergency operations center
7. New IT policies, procedures, frameworks and best practices
8. A five-year IT strategic roadmap
9. CVWD IT received three industry awards