Category: Announcements

Electronic Payment Options for the Water Company – What are They?

Over the last few months we’ve been approached by several members who have asked why the Water Co. doesn’t take credit cards, PayPal, or some other electronic payment option. Great question and one that we recently spent some time researching and discussing.

Here’s what we’ve learned

Credit cards, while convenient for the purchaser, are not necessarily so for the vendor. Depending on the credit card company (i.e. Visa, Mastercard, American Express) the vendor is charged approximately 2-3% (or more) per transaction and by law, the vendor IS NOT allowed to pass on that fee as part of the transaction. They can, however, give a discount for cash or ACH (Automated Clearing House); or can charge more for the service for which the card is used, thereby recouping the transaction fee.

PayPal, for all intents and purposes, works just like credit cards. It charges 2.9% plus $.30 per transaction and it makes clear on its website that a PayPal “vendor” cannot charge a higher fee for PayPal transactions than non-PayPal transactions.

What does that mean?

Using PayPal as an example, for the current quarterly residential bill of $240.00:

1. The Water Co. could “eat” the $7.26 charge ($6.96 + $.30)
2. The Water Co. could “bake in” the above charges but would have to do so for ALL MEMBERS, not just those that pay by PayPal (or credit card) and therefore our rates would go up.
3. In an informal survey of some of our members we learned that the majority of members WERE NOT in favor of paying more so that some would be able to pay their bill with a credit card or PayPal.

So, what are members’ options, then?

Certainly, we can continue to pay our bill by mailing in a check. Some have asked, by the way, why a check just can’t be dropped off.

The simple answer is that: 1) we don’t have a time stamp option at our business office, which is our secretary’s home, and 2) frankly we wouldn’t want members dropping off payments at someone’s home anyway and 3) the postmark is used by our secretary to determine if payment was sent timely.

We get it! We’re members too. It seems silly sometimes to write a check, put it in an envelope, take it to the post office here in town, have them cancel it (not sure if they do that here or if the mail is sent to a larger location) and then put it in our box. However, due to the constraints we’ve outlined, that appears to be the only option.

Well, not entirely!

Bill pay is a fantastic option that would eliminate the need for postage and therefore the requisite trip to the post office while at that same time ensuring that we get the necessary time stamp (postmark) at the business office.

Funny story…After Mark did the research outlined above and presented his findings to the other members of the Board, our President, Mary Young, said something to the effect of “I don’t think we need to go down this credit card/PayPal path; I just use Bill Pay.”

For those of you who know Homer Simpson, it was somewhat of a “Doh!” moment for Mark. Of course! Bill Pay! “Honey, can you set that up, please?”

Depending on your bank you may have different ways of accessing or setting up Bill Pay. On Wells Fargo, for example, you’ll find it under the “Transfer and Pay” tab. For El Dorado Savings Bank it’s located under the “Payments” label. Your bank, or bank’s website, should be able to provide assistance/guidance if you need it.

So, if you’re not already using Bill Pay, and you can, it is a great option. If you can’t, or prefer not too, then yes, we ask that you continue to follow the old-school path and mail in that hard copy check.

The Annual Meeting Presentation is Available for Download

Thank you to those of you who were able to join us for our Annual Meeting this morning.

We sincerely appreciate you taking time out of your Saturday to learn about the goings on here at MWC!

We’ve added the presentation to our Important Documents page and you can click here to download a copy, too.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email us at markleevillewatercompany@gmail.com or give us a jingle at 530-694-2924.

Calling All Members! Annual Meeting — Saturday, August 1st!

That’s right, it’s that time of year where we present the President’s Report and Financial Reports for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

It’s important that all members attend so that we can approve past annual meeting minutes and other items.

The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Please email us at markleevillewatercompany@gmail.com for information on how to join from either your phone or computer.

You can find the agenda, as well as other important documents, on our important documents page.

The meeting starts at 10:00 a.m.

We look forward to seeing, or hearing you, there!

Recent Goings-on at the Markleeville Water Company

Since it’s been awhile since our last post, we thought we’d provide an update in several areas. Here you go!

Operational Meetings & Board Meetings

We held several weekly meetings (the first one was April 1), as we mentioned in this post, and thankfully we didn’t have any emergencies to address. The extra communication that took place was necessary early on but now it isn’t. The systems put in place by our Operator, Buck McLelland, and Kris Hartnett, one of our directors, have paid, and continue to pay, dividends. Buck and Kris communicate daily and anything that needs to be handled is done so quickly and efficiently.  So, we have discontinued the weekly meetings BUT are still holding our monthly meetings (virtually still at this point, thanks to Zoom). Remember, members are welcome to attend. Just email us at markleevillewatercompany@gmail.com for the meeting details. We meet on the 3rd Saturday of the month starting at 8:30 a.m.

Grant Progress

Work is progressing on the planning grant funded by the State of California Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) program; part of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program. Our consultant, West Yost Associates, submitted a draft of the Preliminary Engineering Report on May 15th. Once finalized, this report with be submitted to the State for approval of the recommended project. Once approved, environmental review and engineering design will begin. The primary objectives of the undertaking are to replace aging, failure-prone distribution piping and to implement distribution system changes intended to increase turnover of stored water as well as reductions in the incidence of disinfection byproduct exceedances. Operational changes over the past few years have already reduced these exceedances considerably, so the top priority of the project will be replacing those pipelines. This is a long-term effort, as you know, so continue to stay tuned for further updates.

Generator Progress

Unfortunately, we have not been able to finish the install of the generator due to other, more pressing priorities. We have poured the pad and secured the generator to it. We’ve also gotten the propane tank installed and the electrical is almost completed. Finishing this project remains high on our list, especially in light of fire season, and we hope to have it operational soon.

Water Usage

Unfortunately, due to the dry winter, and per the California Drought Early Warning System, Alpine Co. is in the midst of a moderate drought. Because of this, we ask that you continue conserving water where you can. We also want to remind you that our Water Use Rules & Guidelines (snippet below) remain in effect and can be viewed in their entirety by clicking here.

  • Landscape watering is allowed at even-numbered physical addresses only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, any time between 6 and 10 AM and between 6 and 10 PM.
  • Landscape watering is allowed at odd-numbered physical addresses only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, any time between 6 and 10 AM and between 6 and 10 PM.
  • Landscape watering is NOT allowed on Sundays in order to give our finished water tanks time to refill/replenish.
  • Total landscape watering time is allowed up to two hours per day.

The Truckee Meadows Water Authority has a detailed “Assigned-Day Watering” page which we used as a guide for developing our Rules & Guidelines. Click here to check it out as it has some water saving tips and other relevant articles.

Oh, and by the way, if you are planning on doing any pressure washing at your home, which is allowed per our Water Use Rules & Guidelines, please give us a heads up and keep in mind that your pressure washing unit should be turned off when it’s not in use.

Thank you for being a member! We appreciate you continuing to be a good water steward and wish you, and your families and friends, good health. Continue to stay safe!

Updates from the Water Company’s First Virtual Meeting

The Board held its first meeting (via Zoom) under the Covid-19 restrictions and it was a success! A couple directors joined via their computer and others joined via phone. Buck McLelland, our Plant Operator, and two corporation members, Becky and Fritz Thornburg, were also in virtual attendance, as was our former President, Steve Martin.

Per our blog post of last week, we will continue to hold these meetings virtually until further notice.

Operational Meetings

Speaking of meetings…At Buck’s suggestion we have decided to hold ½ hour bi-weekly operational meetings so that we can quickly discuss current water systems operations, business operations, and website and communications. It will also allow us to stay in sync with the latest news and best practices as things develop during the Covid-19 pandemic. The first of these will be held on April 1st at 6:30 p.m. You can find the latest agenda, including how to RSVP for any of these meetings, on our Important Documents page.

Safety Measures

Buck and Kris brought us up to speed on what they are doing to maximize safety and minimize contact as it relates to the Covid-19. They are no longer working at the plant, or anywhere else, together so that if one of them gets sick, the other won’t be compromised. They are in direct contact via phone, daily, as they have been for years.

Additionally, the board discussed contingency plans if both of them were down and not able to travel for any reason. Steve Martin, our former president, has the necessary experience to take over and can do so under Buck’s direction. Other board members can also step in, with direction from Buck via phone or facetime, for example, as the plant and our systems are set up accordingly.

Updated FAQs

We’ve recently this FAQ (and answer) to our FAQ page:

What do I do if I need to make payment arrangements during the Covid-19 pandemic?

If you are under financial hardship due to the pandemic, please contact our secretary, Joanne Oehlerking at 530-694-2924. It should be noted that Markleeville Water Company is considered a critical infrastructure utility and as such needs income in order to continue to operate and supply clean, potable water to our corporation members.

You’ll also find a few others, including one that answers the question: Who do I contact if I have a water emergency?

Updated Important Documents

We’ve added the agenda from Saturday’s meeting, as well the operations report; the approved minutes from last month’s meeting and the agenda for our first operational meeting. On this page, you’ll also find our Schedule of Rates & Fees and a 3-year waiver for testing of organic synthetic materials that we rec’d late last year. Kudos to Director Hartnett for his hard work and persistence in getting that waiver, by the way – not having to do that testing so often will save us money and give Kris a little more time back in his day.

Grant Update

Lastly, we want to let you know that our planning grant initiative is moving along nicely. We’ve had lengthy, detailed discussions on timing, cost and possible options. Some options will likely increase members’ rates but it’s too soon to tell for sure how much. We are VERY cognizant of the impact increased rates could have and will not make any such decisions without members’ input. We are discussing how and when we could host a meeting for members to bring you up to speed and get your feedback. It’s likely that the Covid-19 pandemic would have an impact on that meeting; right now it’s too early to tell. Once we have some certainty, however, we’ll post something on the website, and email and mail notice to all members.

Be Safe and Stay Healthy!

We wish you and your families well during this difficult time and urge you to follow all guidelines issued by the county and state. Urge your family and friends to do the same, too.

If we all stick together and do it for each other then we’ll get through this.

Markleeville Water Company Board Meetings to be Held Virtually Until Further Notice

Alpine County’s Public Health Director has said: “There should be no gatherings of any kind.”

In keeping with this directive, MWC Board meetings will be in the form of a telephone conference call until further notice. Qualified Persons may call in to attend. Please e-mail us at  markleevillewatercompany@gmail.com for information on how to call in.

Everyone calling in must identify themselves and we will restrict comments to the public comment period of the meeting or to specific agenda items on which action may be taken.

Agendas and other important documents can be found on, and downloaded from, our Important Documents page.

Like the Board of Supervisors meetings, attendees comments will be limited to three (3) minutes, including any Q&A.

The number of connections is limited. We apologize if this excludes any Qualified Person; we are making the best of a difficult situation. 

Be safe and thank you for your understanding.

Covid-19 (Coronavirus Update)

The United States EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the following information on drinking water supplies and COVID-19:

FROM THE EPA

EPA has established regulations with treatment requirements for public water systems that prevent waterborne pathogens such as viruses from contaminating drinking water. These treatment requirements include filtration and disinfectants such as chlorine that remove or kill pathogens before they reach the tap. Additionally, WHO (World Health Organization)notes that, “conventional, centralized water treatment methods which utilize filtration and disinfection should inactivate COVID-19 virus.” https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-drinking-water-and-wastewater

FROM THE CDC

The COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water. Conventional water treatment methods that use filtration and disinfection, such as those in most municipal drinking water systems, should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/water.html

FROM THE MWC

Markleeville Water Company uses filtration and disinfection to treat surface water.  The water in the system is then tested to ensure the water has the proper amount of residual disinfection in our pipe system. Markleeville Water Company reports this information to the State and the County, and we are in compliance with their water quality regulations.

Emergency Repairs on Transmission Line Tonight!

Posted at approx. 7:20 p.m.

Unfortunately, there’s been a break in our 6″ transmission line. This break occurred at/on the Robinson property when a contractor hit the line.

We will be turning off water at the plant about 7:30 p.m. for approxmately 3 hours.

Members along Hot Springs Road, including all of town, could be affected! Marklee Village, however, should not see an impact as that tank is full.

Please be patient, and don’t head to the repair area, as you may get in the way.

If all goes well we’ll have the water back on in the next 3-4 hours. We’ll post another update later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Are You Water Ready if Power is Turned Off?

MWC recently received a message from the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board comments are in italics below). We’ve published portions of it here and a copy is being mailed to all members as well because it has some good advice; not just for us, but for you, too. Our responses to their message are noted in bold.

Due to the upcoming extreme heat and fire hazard, the power utilities are implementing Public Safety Power Shutoff warnings across California.  If adverse conditions develop in your area, the power serving your water system may be shut off, which may affect the ability of your water system to provide water to customers.  There are several steps we recommend you take now to prepare for any potential power outage:

Ensure that your tanks are full prior to the planned power outage. 
MWC will monitor our tanks and will ensure they are at full capacity prior to any outage. Keep in mind, however, that there is only enough water to supply our customers for 4 days (depending on demand). We will post a notice on the MWC website (https://markleevillewatercompany.com/) in the event of an outage, but since some members will not be able to check our website due to lack of power, we also will post notices in town if an outage occurs. Note that we only supply water for domestic use (i.e. drinking water) and for the fire dept. to fight structure fires. Members should also be aware that there may be NO WATER coming through our system during a wildland fire event.

Acquire or position emergency generators where needed to maintain water supply and pressure.  Ensure you have adequate fuel for power generators to last at least 4 to 6 days.
MWC has been making good progress on the installation of our generator. It is not yet operational and isn’t expected to be fully operational until January 1, 2020. We will notify our members when it is operational.

Issue notices to customers to conserve water to reduce unnecessary demand and maintain storage supply.
MWC has kept our water restrictions in place, and you’ve been great stewards. Now it’s up to all of us, as members, to keep it up, while at the same time making sure that we each have our own supplies. Again, in the event of a wildland fire event, or a public service power outage, we remind you that available water is only for domestic use INSIDE YOUR HOME. MWC water is available for structure firefighting purposes.

If the power outage occurs and the water system loses water pressure, your water system should take the following actions:

  • Activate your Water Quality Emergency Notification Plan
    The MWC Board will activate the MWC Emergency Disaster Response Plan when it’s necessary.
  • Notify your DDW District Office or County Local Primacy Agency for instructions on issuance of a precautionary Boil Water Notice
    This action is on MWC’s Emergency Disaster Response Plan checklist.
  • Have a Boil Water Notice ready for distribution. 
    Go to the “Important Documents” page of our website to download a sample copy of our notice.
  • Make sufficient copies of the Boil Water Notice now, so that they may be delivered immediately if water pressure is lost.
    If we need to issue a boil water notice MWC will have paper copies ready to post at several locations in our service area. We will also have additional copies of the notice at the library, but we suggest you print a copy of our sample boil water notice now and keep it handy just in case. It may not be possible for the website to be updated in case of a boil water emergency.

Publicly available PSPS (Public Safety Power Shutdown) proposed outage maps can be found at the following links:

Liberty Utilities: https://california.libertyutilities.com/markleeville/residential/emergencies/electrical/outages-map.html

Pacific Gas & Electric:    https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/psps-service-impact-map.page  

Southern California Edison: https://www.sce.com/safety/wildfire/psps

San Diego General Electric: https://www.sdge.com/wildfire-safety/public-safety-power-shutoffs

DDW District Office contact information can be found at: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/programs/documents/ddwem/DDWdistrictofficesmap.pdf.