Water Master Plan
The Skinny: There are many pieces to this one. We’re getting a new plant in Southeast Fresno to treat river water. We’ll someday expand the big treatment plant we’ve already got in Northeast Fresno. We’re finally getting a “purple pipe” system to reuse treated sewer water. Bottom line: Fresno aims to be water resilient over the long haul.
The Rundown: The purple pipe system aims to “(p)rotect and improve groundwater quality by reducing the use of percolation ponds currently used as part of the Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility’s (RWRF) effluent disposal processes; Increase the use of recycled water through urban reuse, groundwater recharge and agricultural reuse to help meet the water demands in the region; Expand the recycled water system to enable the City’s offset of potable water use, thereby enhancing the sustainability of the water supply; Facilitate the goals related to recycled water use set forth in the City’s Urban Water Management Plan.” (Source: Wastewater Draft Master Plan, March 2011)
The Pledge: “For decades, the City of Fresno has worked to create a plan that ensures a sustainable water future for our community. That plan is now a reality with construction of this essential project that will ensure a safe, clean, reliable water supply for Fresno for generations to come.” – Mayor Ashley Swearengin, March 2, 2016, on the official ground-breaking for the Southeast Surface Water Treatment Plant project. (Source: City of Fresno)
The City of Fresno is the 5th largest City in the State of California and has an annual Budget of almost a billion dollars, with approximately 4,000 employees, and does NOT have an Internal Audit Unit to ensure the proper accounting, internal controls and safeguarding of all City Assets are in place and functioning as intended. As the retired Principal Internal Auditor for the City of Fresno, effective January 2016, this area should be of significance to the City and newly elected Mayor and all Council Members. All the top ten Cities in the State of California, except the City of Fresno, have an Internal Audit Unit. For the structure, benefits and type of Internal Audits performed by the Internal Audit Unit I oversaw while employed with the City, I reference all viewers of this comment to the City’s Administrative Order 1-10. I would hope that this significant area of concern and importance might be #11 on the Mayor’s Listing going forward. Thank You!