Quick Take
Rosemary Menard bids farewell as she retires after a decade as water director in Santa Cruz. Heidi Luckenbach, who has worked in the department for 25 years, is taking over. As she leaves, Menard reminds us of the unpredictability of climate change and the need to diversify our sources of water.
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As I pen my final words to you as City of Santa Cruz Water Department director, it’s with a mix of nostalgia, pride and excitement for the future of your drinking water. Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege to lead the dedicated team behind your tap as they provide safe, clean drinking water through one of the toughest challenges we’ve ever faced – climate change.
On Thursday, I passed the torch to Heidi Luckenbach, a 25-year veteran of our department, whose passion and expertise will undoubtedly lead us into a climate change-driven and adaptable water future. Her vision is rooted in extensive groundwork conducted over the past decade and will equip the department with a resilient water management strategy to ensure you continue to get the water you need.
In the pursuit of securing our water future, it’s crucial to recognize the reality of weather whiplash, the unpredictable oscillation between extreme weather patterns. While we might experience a year of ample rainfall, we must remain vigilant, understanding that this does not guarantee immunity from future droughts. Our entire water supply is local. One year without rain can have dire impacts.
The unpredictability of climate change requires us to adapt continuously. Our commitment to diversifying our water supply and implementing innovative solutions is a necessary proactive response. We must prepare ourselves for shifting from abundance to scarcity, ensuring that Santa Cruz remains resilient and capable of weathering our environmental complexities for generations to come.
Comprehensive technical studies highlight the urgency to diversify our portfolio and add new, reliable sources of water. We’re focused on a strategic blend of solutions outlined in the city council’s Securing Our Water Future policy guidance – interagency water transfers, aquifer storage and recovery, recycled/purified water, and even desalination. These solutions build on Santa Cruz’s commitment to using water as efficiently as possible.
Our success in addressing the looming threats of climate change and water scarcity hinges on community support, a shared understanding of the issue’s significance, and a commitment to collaboration.
The team behind your tap looks forward to working with you, project by project, to secure our water future.
Rosemary Menard is the retiring director of the Santa Cruz Water Department. She has over 40 years’ experience as a water utility executive, working in four states — California, Oregon (Portland), Nevada (Reno) and Washington (Seattle). She has a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Washington. She has been Santa Cruz’s water director for 10 years.