Election Forum recaps and recordings

Moderator Jennifer Nixon from the League of Women Voters of Piedmont, CA posed questions to the East Bay Municipal Utilities District Director, Ward 3 candidates who are running in the November 2022 General election. The candidates in attendance were Mark Seedall and Marguerite Young. This forum was sponsored by the Leagues of Women Voters representing Diablo Valley, Oakland, Piedmont, and West Contra Costa County.

Watch Recording

Each candidate gave a two-minute opening statement, was given one and a half minutes to answer each of the following questions, and gave a one-minute closing statement.

• Question 1: What is your plan to protect and conserve the District's high-quality water supply for uses requiring very clean water and optimizing the use of recycled or treated water for other purposes? Are there any plans to implement alternative delivery systems for different uses so that water reuse can be ramped up, or used to replenish water supply?
• Question 2: What can be done to instill a sense of individual responsibility to implement conservation measures and ensure an equitable distribution of water resources at the residential level? For example, water use for lawns in some of our wealthier communities seems very wasteful compared to other more essential uses. Can watering lawns be outlawed or can there be mandatory watering restrictions to limit these wasteful practices?
• Question 3: What is the status of tertiary treatment (filtration) at wastewater treatment facilities and reuse of the treated water such as reinjection into aquifers or reservoirs, or for residential, agricultural, commercial or industrial uses?
• Question 4: What efforts are being made to reduce discharge of treated water to the bay?
• Question 5: What is the most challenging pollutant to test for and remove from wastewater and what are the emerging chemicals of concern that are causing grief at EBMUD, and how do you keep ahead of the curve as new pollutants are identified?
• Question 6: The wastewater facility was built in the 1970’s with Federal money. That money is gone, but the facility needs seismic retrofit. The sewer system needs upgrading too as there have been failures. How would you prioritize these issues in the Capital plan along with the other issues already discussed?
• Question 7: As Director, how would you try to influence District management to incorporate community priorities into its Capital Program budgeting process?

00:00 LWV Intro

04:25 Opening Statements

07:55 Question 1

11:42 Question 2

15:33 Question 3

19:11 Question 4

22:25 Question 5

25:19 Question 6

28:50 Question 7

32:20 Closing Statements

34:34 Forum Close

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League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley: https://www.lwvfnuc.org/ 

League of Women Voters Oakland: https://www.lwvoakland.org/ 

League of Women Voters Piedmont: https://www.lwvpiedmont.org/

League of Women Voters of West Contra Costa County: https://bit.ly/LWVWCCC