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107 <br /> <br /> Ms. Mohr asked if Zone 7 was in negotiations with the <br />Tassajara valley area development with respect to purchasing new <br />water supplies to serve them. She understood that cities use <br />approximately 5%, industry uses 10%, and agriculture uses 85%, of <br />the state supplies. She was concerned that cities had been asked <br />to conserve by as much as 50%. She felt that agriculture could <br />update its methods and save 5%. She believed that the problem was <br />being approached from the wrong direction. <br /> <br /> Jim Dixon, General Manager of Zone 7, responded that Zone 7 is <br />not in negotiations with persons from the Tassajara valley area. <br /> <br /> Mr. Figuers generally agreed with Ms. Mohr's comments but <br />cautioned that if agricultural uses diminish, some small towns will <br />cease to exist. He indicated that there had been studies done on <br />water use in agriculture and the studies showed that there was not <br />as much waste as expected. Farmers are relatively efficient in <br />their use of water. <br /> <br /> Mayor Mercer asked if Zone 7 could recharge the underground <br />water basin. <br /> <br /> Mr. Figuers responded yes. Zone 7 recharges 15-18,000 acre <br />feet per year on the surface. The natural in-flow is 3-5,000 acre <br />feet per year. <br /> <br /> Mr. Tarver asked what Zone 7 planned to do if the demand for <br />water exceeded the supply. <br /> <br /> Mr. Figuers saidthat Zone 7 would have to start the planning <br />process within the next year, meet with all of the cities and a <br />consensus would have to be developed. <br /> <br /> Mayor Mercer asked if Zone 7's philosophy was to have new <br />growth pay its own way. He asked why a resident would have to pay <br />three or four times more if the resident continued to use the same <br />amount of water. <br /> <br /> Mr. Figuers answered that the increase in fees would be for <br />the infrastructure costs. He addedthat new development should pay <br />for most of the increase in fees. <br /> <br /> Mr. Tarver stated that he was not sure that LAVMA was in the <br />same situation. He explained that as the capacity has increased, <br />the operational costs for the additional capacity has been spread <br />over the existing rate payers. <br /> <br /> Ms. Mohr asked if there had been any speculation on how much <br />water would be made available as the central valley grows and more <br />agricultural water is used for urban development. <br /> <br />s/s/92 <br /> 5 <br /> <br /> <br />