Storm Costs North Shore a Reservoir; Board Backs State Water Agenda

A tropical storm knocked out Coachella Valley Water District's Parkside Drive reservoir in North Shore and caused a 3,000-gallon sewer spill, staff told the Board of Directors on Oct. 13, 2026. With only three of five directors present, the board also voted 3-0 to back a statewide water agenda aimed at California's next governor. Staff then reported which Sacramento bets paid off and which fell short.

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• Storm wipes out North Shore's Parkside Drive reservoir; 3,000-gallon sewer spill follows
• Director presses staff on why five-year-old concrete failed in the storm
• Resolution No. 2026-38 passes 3-0, backing ACWA's water vision for the next governor
• AB 2180 signed, clarifying Prop. 218 rate math as district rate lawsuits continue
• $69.4M chromium-6 funding request falls short in Sacramento; sponsors willing to retry

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North Shore Takes the Storm's Hardest Hit

Why it matters: The storm disrupted water service and damaged sewer systems in North Shore. It also undermined infrastructure the district built only five years ago, raising questions about workmanship and who pays for repairs.

Where things stand: A district department head told the board the storm dropped more than three inches of rain. Staff held Whitewater flows at 300 cubic feet per second (CFS), but North Shore took the worst of it.

“We lost the reservoir at Parkside Drive,” said the department head.

Water tenders served customers while crews replaced more than 652 feet of pipe. The damage list also included:

• A lift station failure.
• A Category 2 sewer spill of about 3,000 gallons on Jefferson, between 52 and 54.
• A washout at Washington Street.
• About 150 feet of undermined concrete along the Cleveland Wasteway Channel.

The other side: One director challenged staff on why recently built concrete gave way after just five years. The director suggested that “somebody did something wrong.”

Staff said water had flowed from the east behind the spillway. The presenter framed the damage as a near miss, not a design failure. “I think we got really lucky in this tropical storm,” the department head said.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The report was informational, and the board took no action. Staff did not present a repair cost estimate or a timeline.

North Shore customers bore the brunt of the outages and the sewer spill. Ratepayers districtwide have a stake in how the repair bill is handled. The workmanship question matters too: whether the failure traces to design, construction or an unusual flow path could shape who absorbs the cost.

What's next: Repairs are ongoing. Residents and advocates may want to ask three things. When will full service return to the Parkside Drive area? What will repairs cost? Will the district review how the Cleveland Wasteway concrete was built?

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A Message for the Next Governor

The basics: The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) is the statewide association of public water agencies. Its new CEO, Carla Nemeth, has led development of a "Vision for Our Water Future" for the state's incoming administration.

Where things stand: Government Affairs Program Manager Karen Borja presented the initiative.

“This is more or less of a guide for the upcoming and future California governor,” said Karen Borja, Government Affairs Program Manager.

The vision rests on four parameters:

• Active leadership and coordination on water.
• Affordable, safe and reliable water.
• Modernized infrastructure.
• Improved regulatory and scientific frameworks.

Borja pointed to turnover in the Legislature. Term limits are removing key legislators such as State Senator Ana Caballero.

The other side: Board President John Powell Jr. offered some good-natured skepticism. “Is it going to make a difference?” he asked.

Borja said it would matter to ACWA and noted that the CEO has met with both gubernatorial candidates. “So kind of depends on what happens after November 3rd,” she said.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Powell moved to adopt the resolution, a director seconded and it passed on a voice vote. (For: 3 — Powell, Anthony Bianco, Alex Sanchez; Against: 0; Absent: 2 — Vice President Cástulo R. Estrada, John Aguilar.)

The resolution adds CVWD's name to a coordinated statewide pitch. Borja's answer set the measure of its value: what it achieves depends on who wins in November. The staff report and draft resolution are available.

What's next: The gubernatorial election is Nov. 3.

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Sacramento Scorecard: Rate Law Win, Funding Misses

Why it matters: The district's biggest legislative win involves how agencies justify water and sewer rates. That is the same ground at the center of three rate lawsuits on the board's closed-session agenda.

Where things stand: Borja reported that the 2025-26 legislative cycle ended Sept. 30. The governor signed AB 2180 (Ward) on Sept. 27. The law allows agencies to use proportional-cost methods, including uniform or tiered rates, under Proposition 218.

The bill “clarifies how local agencies can demonstrate that water and sewer rates are proportional to the cost of providing services that are required by Proposition 218,” Borja said.

AB 1821, also signed, shifts Public Records Act response deadlines to 10 business days.

The other side: Several district priorities fell short:

• The governor vetoed SB 872, which dealt with Delta levy reimbursement.
• A $69.4M chromium-6 request carried by Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez failed.
• A roughly $100M request carried by Assemblymember Wallace also failed. Both legislators are willing to try again.
• AB 2215, which dealt with State Water Project permit deadlines, stalled.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The report was informational. The state budget still delivered several wins:

• $25M for the Healthy Rivers and Landscape Program (AB 1113).
• $2.7B in Prop. 4 climate and greenhouse gas funding.
• Preserved funding for the SAFER program.

For ratepayers, AB 2180 gives the district clearer legal footing for its rate structures while litigation continues. The chromium-6 miss means mitigation funding remains unsecured for now. The legislative matrix details each bill.

What's next: Lawmakers can begin introducing new bills Jan. 4. Watch for renewed chromium-6 and funding requests from Gonzalez and Wallace.

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Minor Items

• Consent calendar: Approved 3-0, with two absent. It included $573 in Desert Valleys Builders Association dues, the Sept. 22 minutes and the fiscal 2026 budget-to-actual report.
• Counsel departs: The district's general counsel from Best Best & Krieger marked his final meeting after 13 years with the district and 38 years in practice. He will spend two weeks helping staff transition projects. “I thought Jeff did a great job in providing support through the deep bench that BB&K has,” said Jim Barrett, General Manager.
• Director reports: Directors described a zoysia grass pilot at Sun City Palm Desert, La Quinta and Indio state-of-the-city events, and an Oct. 8 Public Finance Committee presentation. Per diem was approved 3-0.
• Employee recognition: Nick Lloyd was honored for 20 years of service. A 2006 hire, he rose from meter reader to Customer Service Representative 2. Honoree Luis Bautista was absent after working overnight.

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Looking Ahead

After a closed session, the board reported no action on its listed items:

• Colorado River and Feather River water negotiations.
• Two Randall C. Roberts v. CVWD rate cases.
• Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. v. CVWD.
• Labor talks with ASSET and unrepresented employees.
• The general manager's performance evaluation.

Those rate cases now continue under new general counsel.