NEWS RELEASE CALAVERAS COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES City of Angels - Union Public Utility District - Calaveras County Water District RELEASED BY: Clayton H. Hawkins, Director/Chief Officer CONTACT: Debbie Ponte Mayor, City of Angels (209)736-0888   RELEASE DATE:  September 18, 2001 TIME: 1215 PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY A Public Meeting will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, September 19, 2001 at 7:00 P.M. at the Bret Harte High School gymnasium in Angels Camp. The purpose of the meeting is to inform residents about the status of emergency water projects and the Darby Fire. Representatives from the City of Angels, Utica Power Authority (UPA), Union Public Utility District (UPUD), Calaveras County Water District (CCWD), the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), the Calaveras County Office of Emergency Services (OES), among others, will be available to provide an update and answer questions.      Water Access for Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Businesses: Agricultural, commercial and industrial businesses that have at least a 1000 gallon or greater water truck, are encouraged to contact CCWD at 754-3543 for an appointment to fill their tanks. CCWD has two locations, Ebbetts Pass and Copperopolis.      Landscaping and General Irrigation Users: Nonpotable water is available for residential landscaping, gardens, and general irrigation at the Bret Harte Center well located at the California Highway Patrol's (CHP) Truck Scale on Hwy. 4 in Murphys. Residents should bring their own containers to fill up.      Water Conservation: Water conservation remains critical while short and longer term emergency projects are being constructed. Residents must continue to cut their normal usage by fifty percent. Residents have done a good job conserving water but must continue to reduce consumption. Water usage has been reduced fifty percent since the water flume burned in the affected communities.      Fire Damage and Water Related Losses: Residents may wish to contact their homeowner or renter insurance carriers about possible coverage for fire related damages and/or losses due to the lack of water.      Emergency Water Project Status: Water has been rerouted from CCWD's water hydrants in Forest Meadows to Murphys. This project is providing an additional 275,000 gallons of water a day to residents in the Murphys area.      County OES and CCWD are shuttling water from CCWD's water distribution system to the Murphys Afterbay operated by UPUD. This project is providing approximately 200,000 gallons of water a day.      In Angels Camp, the "Schmauder - Tryon Mine" project is awaiting State water quality tests results. This site is expected to produce approximately 500,000 gallons of water per day from an underground water source. State and local water officials are coordinating efforts to ensure that the water is safe for drinking and all water quality standards are upheld.      The "Calaveras Cement Slurry Line" project which may redirect Calaveras Public Utility District (CPUD) water from San Andreas to Ross Reservoir has been postponed. The City of Angels will be reevaluating this project later this week.      "The Temporary Flume Bypass" formerly referred to as "The Overland Pipe Project" continues. Engineering plans have been completed. CDF crews are assisting in the repair of 46 fire damaged flume sections as well as cleaning debris from the flume. This temporary pipe system will provide 6,600,000 gallons of water per day once operational. It is anticipated that this project will be completed by October 5, 2001.      The State Department of Water Resources (SDWR) is assisting County OES and water district officials plan for the permanent reconstruction of the flume. The timeframe for the reconstruction of the flume is unknown but anticipated to be long term.      The public is reminded that as emergency water projects are explored more in depth, plans may change and additional projects may emerge. The multi-agency emergency recovery efforts are committed to providing safe water to residents in Murphys, Vallecito, Douglas Flat, Carson Hill, Six Mile Village and Angels Camp.      Residents who have concerns about water should contact their individual water districts for more information. For more information contact:      Union Public Utility District: 209-728-3651      City of Angels: 209-736-2181      Calaveras County Water District: 209-754-3543 Serving the communities of Murphys, Douglas Flat, Carson Hill, Six Mile Village, Frogtown, and the City of Angels to Calaveras County Government Services