Three candidates vie for water board

Jeff Borenstein On election day, three Thousand Oaks residents will compete for one seat on the Calleguas Municipal Water District board of directors, Division 2, one of whom is longtime incumbent Jeffrey Borenstein, a certified public accountant.

The other two candidates are Scott Quady, 54, and John Ecklund, 62.

Borenstein, 54, has served on the Calleguas board since 1992 and is currently the agency's treasurer. Before being elected, he was the district's outside independent auditor for 12 years.

"Mainly our job as a board is to ensure water reliability for the region," Borenstein said. "We're in the middle of a drought and facing judicial decisions (that limit) bringing water from the north."

During Borenstein's first term, the board voted to develop a groundwater basin north of Moorpark. Using the underground aquifer located north of the city for water storage was a "forward-thinking" move that proved to be a good decision, especially during drought periods. The groundwater basin holds about a year's worth of water for customers, Borenstein said.

Scott Quady Ventura County residents living in Oak Park, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Camarillo and sections of Bell Canyon consume water purchased through various retail districts from Calleguas.

"What I particularly like about our board is that we have a good working relationship," Borenstein said. "We try to do what's best for the entire service area."

Quady, an environmental scientist and laboratory analyst who evaluates wastewater, ground water systems and water systems to make sure industries are in compliance with government regulations, said he chose to run for the board to "sound off on water use efficiency . . . and water conservation."

Quady doesn't believe enough is being done to deal with the dwindling water supplies and believes more conservation measures are necessary. "I hope to be that voice," he said.

Ecklund, a small business owner who represents manufacturers, puts the focus of his campaign on water fluoridation, which he believes is dangerous for humans. The Metropolitan Water District, which is the only water supplier to the region, began fluoridating water in 2007.

John Ecklund "I don't feel that it should be there," Ecklund said regarding the fluoridation of water. "The municipal water district is paying for something that is dangerous to everybody, especially for children under the age of two."

Janna Orkney, vice chair of the Triunfo Water District, which owns Oak Park Water Service, a Calleguas customer, said the biggest issue facing all water agencies in Southern California is the diminishing supply of potable water.

"We are facing two challenges right now," Orkney said. "One, the state drought, which is decreasing water availability, and the other is the legal ruling that has limited the release of water from Northern California, which is where we get the majority of our water."