MARIPOSA – The Lake Don Pedro Community Services District (LDPCSD) has awarded a contract to the Mariposa County Resource Conservation District (RCD) in the amount of $175,260, to implement a countywide water efficiency education and rebate program.
Lake Don Pedro CSD was awarded a $1,001,547 grant from the Department of Water Resources to achieve several goals, including replacement of leaky LDPCSD pipes. A portion of that grant will pay for water conservation information and workshops specific to the needs of our region, and for a rebate program for LDPCSD customers and other Mariposa County residents who purchase and install water efficient fixtures and appliances.
“We are pleased that our grant application was successful and will help offset the cost of important upgrades to the water system that serves the Lake Don Pedro community,” says Pete Kampa, General Manager of Lake Don Pedro CSD.
“Despite the fact that we had a heavier than normal rainy season, it is of critical importance that our customers have the ability to conserve water during supply emergencies as we saw last year. Our customers responded with a 50 percent cutback in water use, and this grant will hopefully make it less painful for them to reach that conservation level should the need arise again in the future. The Mariposa RCD is in an excellent position to administer this countywide rebate, available to all residents, even if they are outside of our service area, and we look forward to partnering with them on this effort.”
The grant application was the result of collaboration within the Integrated Regional Water Management group, administered by the Mariposa County RCD. This water conservation program was included specifically to benefit the entire population of the County, no matter what water district a resident belongs to or if they rely on a private well for their water.
Rebates are still being finalized, but will be available to reimburse homeowners for a portion of the cost to purchase specific high efficiency toilets, washing machines, and dishwashers. Reimbursements for smart irrigation controllers, rainwater catchment, greywater reuse systems and other items are also being evaluated. Rebate amounts will be an average of $200 for products that are on an approved list. Residents will fill out an application and submit an original receipt or contractor invoice. Once applications are processed and approved, a check will be mailed to the resident. Information about the program will be provided to all water districts in the County, as well as being directly available from the Mariposa County RCD.
“We think the efforts of Lake Don Pedro CSD to make part of their grant funding available to all Mariposa County water users is admirable,” says David Mecchi, President of the Mariposa County RCD Board of Directors. “We look forward to helping residents upgrade their fixtures to use water more efficiently. Water is a precious resource and we support using it wisely, rain or shine.”
Look for more information about the rebates on the Mariposa County RCD website and from your water company in the near future.
The mission of the Mariposa County Resource Conservation District is to encourage and facilitate cooperative solutions to local resources conservation issues. We provide technical, financial and educational resources to meet the needs of the local land users.
