Soquel Creek Water District Appoints New Board Member at Critical Time

On Tuesday, Soquel Creek Water District’s board of directors appointed a new member: Richard Meyer.

Meyer took the place of Daniel Kriege, who resigned after 39 years of service.

An Aptos resident, Meyer applied for the position out of his concern for water supply and climate change. He spent 25 years working in management in Silicon Valley high-tech companies, and in 2008 launched a consulting business helping clients reduce their carbon footprints.

He joins the District at a critical time, according to board members in a press release. The District currently relies on underground aquifers to provide water to its customers. Yet the aquifers are in a state of overdraft, with water pumped out faster than it is replenished.

The amount of water being pumped from the aquifers needs to be reduced 35 percent for 20 years to allow water levels to recover and prevent seawater intrusion from contaminating the water supply, they said.

The District is seeking solutions through the development of a supplemental water supply including evaluation of a proposed desalination facility in partnership with the City of Santa Cruz,water exchanges, increased conservation and possible future water restrictions, said board members.

The Soquel Creek Water District is a nonprofit, local government agency providing water to Capitola, Aptos, La Selva Beach, Opal Cliffs, Rio Del Mar, Seascape and Soquel.