PALMDALE – The Palmdale Water District Board of Directors voted to hire an aerial mapping company to determine the actual square footage of customers’ landscapes requiring irrigation. Knowing the accurate outdoor landscape size of each parcel will allow for better water allocation to customers.
The Irrigated Vegetation Mapping Program to be conducted by Eagle Aerial Solutions will assist PWD with the 2019 Rate Study, which will
determine the water rates for years 2020-2024. With a 95 percent-plus accuracy rate, Eagle Aerial’s mapping is expected to provide PWD with a
near-perfect number for calculating how much water is needed for outdoor use by each customer.
Currently, PWD allocates 50 percent of the parcel’s square footage for landscaping on single-family residence and 100 percent for irrigation accounts. This helps ensure the customers’ water allocations are enough during the summer months.
“I am always supportive of the use of technology to better serve our ratepayers,” said Board Director Robert E. Alvarado. “If we can be more precise with determining water allocations, it is a win-win for our customers and for our agency.”
PWD serves about 26,000 accounts within its 45-square-mile boundaries. The cost for the contract with Costa Mesa-based Eagle Aerial is not to exceed $31,500.
“This enables us to obtain the most accurate parcel level data for approximately $1.25 per account,” said PWD Finance Manager/CFO Michael Williams. “It is definitely cost effective.”
According to Eagle Aerial’s proposal, it will use Geographic Information System (GIS)-based remote sensing analysis and expert manual air photo interpretation to determine the irrigated areas for individual parcels. The company will provide results to PWD as both a dataset and a visually mapped dataset. Each parcel will have information identifying the impervious (structure/hardscape), water, irrigated, irrigable but not irrigated (turf grass), and undeveloped and agriculture.
Eagle Aerial is the same company used by the California Department of Water Resources, which is gathering data for water districts so that it can deliver an aggregate landscape area number for each water agency’s efficiency target. The state will be averaging many individual parcel data and will not be providing parcel by parcel accuracy needed when setting individual customer’s outdoor allocation. By hiring Eagle Aerial, PWD will have the
most accurate individual parcel data needed.
PWD was the second agency in the state to adopt water budget rates. Now the state requires agencies to use water budgets for determining rates. PWD has started the 2019 Rate Study with consultant RDN, which is currently collecting data and analyzing financials to develop water budget alternatives to present to the PWD Board of Directors. These alternatives will be shared with customers at an open house and community workshops before a public hearing in the fall.
[Information via news release from the Palmdale Water District.]
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Old Vet says
As a long time resident, retired from the military, I believe this a good idea, and as far as Tim saying Eagle Aerial appears to be double dipping, is simply untrue. I have done my research, and they are good company. By the way, aerial mapping has been around for a long time.
Tim Scott says
I’m not saying they are not a good company. I’m not really even saying there is anything wrong with the double dipping they are doing. The state, as in the Department of Water Resources, contracted them to do this kind of mapping statewide. If the Palmdale Water District, or anyone else, wants part of the collected data there is no reason they should give it away for free. I’d be interested in knowing if their contract with the DWR prevents the DWR from sharing the data with other agencies, but I’d guess that it does.
As to calling me a liar, perhaps you should do more research. Eagle Aerial is quite proud of their work for DWR and you should have no problem verifying that I was correct. I’ll await an apology at your convenience.
Old Vet says
Tim, perhaps you should do more research. Eagle Aerial is currently producing a statewide dataset of land classification data that will be provided to each water district free of charge. Eagle Aerial is the exclusive provider of irrigated landscape measurement for DWR. Nothing illicit going on here, Tim, as you have speculated that there might be. I don’t expect an apology.
Tim Scott says
Shady, illicit, illegal.
These words actually do not all mean the same thing.
I didn’t say there was anything illicit going on. I did say shady. I’ll say it again. Shady. Any time a business gets really favorable terms in a contract with a government agency, I think it is shady. Not illegal, not illicit, just the kind of thing that happens when people are negotiating with no skin in the game.
DWR made a deal that allowed them to sell data to water districts that they were already selling to the state’s oversight agency for those departments rather than having the DWR distribute it. In all probability the negotiating team spending state money never even thought to ask for anything other than what they were offered; not because they got a kickback or anything illegal but just because it isn’t their money so why should they push.
As to apologies since I haven’t falsely accused you of lying I don’t see any reason you would expect one, so good that you don’t.
Old Vet says
Tim: You should read your comment again, using the words “double dipping.” You did not say “shady,” you said “double dipping.” double dipping infers “illicit.” Now you’re stating emphatically that they are double dipping, in which you, Tim are not truthful. Are you being deliberately obtuse, or are you just pretending? Carrying on this conversation wouldn’t be fair to you. I am glad to see this mapping being done. I don’t have time for all the negative comments regarding all the politicians in the A.V. It produces nothing but more division in which you are a part.
Tim Scott says
LOL…are you really sure you are an “old vet”? Double dipping is a term that as far as I know is most commonly used to refer to a vet, like me and allegedly you, who is drawing a military retirement and an additional retirement from a post military career. There is NOTHING remotely in that term that is explicitly “illicit.” If you are really an “old vet” I would think you have friends who are double dipping. I certainly do.
Ratepayer says
As a long time resident and ratepayer, still working for a living, and very supportive of the military, I believe this is a bad idea and nothing but an excuse for why they will be raising our rates. We have cut our use and rightly so. This is a smoke screen.
Jason Zink says
This is intrusive in the people’s lives by our local Water District. We need less government not more. The next thing they’ll be telling us how much water were allocated and what we can have our property. Who wants to live like this in America?
John Thomas says
What do you expect from a board that has Kathy Job Killer McLaren on it? Common sense and wise decisions? Wrong.
QH Holdover says
I bet its the same group that flys over Lancaster. Kathy Job Killer Maclaren is pretty close with Rex and bet this is the LEAPS plane. Good ol Boys are doing Buisness in Palmdale.
Tim Scott says
Eagle Aerial Solutions is a state contractor that looks to be double dipping…selling data to cities that they already get paid by the state for collecting. While shady enough in their own right, there is no obvious connection to Lancaster or Wrecks.
Tim Scott says
You are right to be concerned, but not seeing the actual problem…or at least not mentioning it in place of the vaguely paranoid complaint about “intrusions” that you are making. This is a straight rate hike measure.
If you have complied during the drought and made a lot of what used to be lawn and garden into piles of rock and such (which as we all know at the first sign of a wet spring turn into desert weed patches) you will be ‘rewarded’ by being put on a tier system that gives you less of the low rate first tier water before you get kicked up to the higher rate higher tier water. People who said “screw you” during the drought and kept their lawns, greenery, and property values will be allowed more cheap rate water so they can keep on maintaining it.
Ratepayer says
We don’t have the smartest people on the water board. What do you expect, Tim?
ANNON says
Hold on to your wallets PWD customers…. they are going to get raped! (again)
John Thomas says
This board is going to increase our rates yet again. When will the residents learn that these elected officials have zero Buisness experience and support bigger government at a higher cost. Should we be surprised having union thugs and liberal Democrats as our elected body. Wake up Palmdale!
Alexis says
So, you’re blaming union thugs and liberal Democrats. I guess you didn’t like James Ledford as your mayor either.
Vlad says
What does the mayor have to do with water rates? Water rates at Palmdale Water District are set by the board, not the mayor. By the way, the board is full of union thugs and liberal Democrats.
Alexis says
Dearest Vlad…I should have been clearer with my comment. James Ledford backed Kathy Maclaren all the way, so you must have had a problem with the people he endorsed. James Ledford is a moderate Republican, so you just have so many people to blame that you can’t keep up. Union thugs, liberal Democrats, and moderate Republicans, and on, and on.
John Thomas says
After the smearing by “Sell out” Steve Hofbauer I didn’t like Jim Ledford as our Mayor. Now that I see him in action I say Palmdale had a good thing going with Jim. God help us now that we are being led by the Phony Republicans on our Council.