SOQUEL — At the January 13 public meeting, the Soquel Creek Water District’s board of directors unanimously appointed Rachél Lather-Hidalgo of Aptos as a new director. She recently retired from the County of Santa Cruz where she worked as a senior civil engineer.
Lather-Hidalgo was one of 15 applicants for the board seat left vacant when Director Richard Meyer passed away in late November.
“Each person brought their own unique skill set, but Rachél stood out. She has great knowledge of local water resource management; specifically wastewater management, which will be increasingly important as we explore advanced purification of wastewater for groundwater replenishment as a potential supplemental water supply. We are excited to have her as part of our director team,” said Board President Bruce Daniels.
The five directors determine policy for the agency and are publicly elected by voters in the District’s service area to four-year terms. However, new directors can be appointed through a public process when an unexpected vacancy occurs.
In Lather-Hidalgo’s application for the board she said her education includes a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an M.S. in Geotechnical Engineering from UC Davis and that she has been a registered Civil Engineer for the past 31 years.
Recently retired from the County of Santa Cruz, Lather-Hidalgo now works as a Senior Project Manager for Kestrel Consulting. Her career included geotechnical engineering designing foundation, slope stability, and soil and groundwater remediation projects. For the past 21 years she was a Senior Civil Engineer for the County of Santa Cruz. From 2002-2015 Lather-Hidalgo managed the engineering design and analysis for sewers and pump stations, the rate setting, budget development, project review, billing and customer service as the Sanitation Engineer for the District.
As to her community interests and activities Lather-Hidalgo writes, “I enjoy biking and hiking on the Aptos and Santa Cruz County trails and streets. I am a supporter of projects and causes that protect our waterways and beaches from pollution while allowing us to enjoy the beauty of the coast. I have lived and worked in this community for over 21 years and raised my children in Aptos. I have been a Girl Scout troop leader, a cookie mom, and volunteered to drive on every field trip that my two children had at school. My daughter attends Cabrillo College and my son plans to attend Cabrillo College next fall after he graduates from Aptos High School.”
About supplemental water supply options, Lather-Hidalgo writes, “I believe the need to have multiple supply options available in order to reduce the overdraft of the groundwater supply and support the needs of the community during drought periods as well as non-drought periods.
We already have one supply option, groundwater, and that is not a drought proof or sustainable option. Recycled water is the most reliable source of water to be used, then captured storm water/surface water, and seawater. One large-scale source of water is not the answer for a drought proof community.”
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The next regular meeting of the SqCWD Board is Tuesday, February 2, 2016 — 6 p.m. in the Capitola City Council Chambers, 420 Capitola Avenue, Capitola