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After 42 years with the Zone 7 Water Agency, Dennis Gambs said it’s time to step away and enter the next stage of his retirement, which is why he said he will not be running for reelection to the Zone 7 Board of Directors.
Gambs told the Pleasanton Weekly that while it was a hard decision to make, he feels like he has overseen several important projects and has served the public as best he could over the last eight years as a Zone 7 board member.
“I have been very honored to serve the community,” he said.
Gambs first joined Zone 7 in 1981 where he worked as a civil engineer — and later as a water resources manager — for 34 years before retiring. Some of the projects he worked on during his time as a staff member include the Dougherty Reservoir and Pipeline in Dublin, the Arroyo Mocho Widening Project in Pleasanton and a number of other water supply projects.
He also worked on the agreements that ultimately secured the water supply for Dougherty Valley and negotiated 30-year water supply contracts with water retailers — a topic that continues to be very important for him.
“Water supply projects will make water costs less expensive in the long run,” Gambs said. “Currently, we have been purchasing water transfers in dry years to make our deliveries, which can be very costly.”
During his time on staff, Gambs said he always understood the importance of working as a team and recognized the critical role of the board of directors, which is why he decided to run back in 2018. Having initially won a four-year term, Gambs successfully ran for reelection in 2022 and is currently serving his second term, which expires on June 30.
Over his two terms, Gambs cited several other projects that he was particularly proud of overseeing, including the number of water supply reliability projects that are currently in the works.
“These projects are needed primarily to offset the impacts of climate change and regulatory cutbacks on our State Water Project deliveries,” Gambs said, noting that those deliveries make up about 80% of Zone 7’s water supply.
He highlighted the Site Reservoir, an off-stream water storage in the Sacramento Valley that will serve as a new water supply, and the Delta Conveyance Project, which aims to modernize the existing State Water Project infrastructure, as projects he considers wins for the region.
“We are fortunate to have these projects lined up,” Gambs said. “They are great opportunities for Zone 7 to provide a reliable supply of water to the community. Water projects have a history of getting more expensive so we are fortunate to have these projects lined up for approval in the near future.”
Gambs also said he championed the Chain of Lakes Conveyance Project, another infrastructure project that aimed to enhance Tri-Valley water reliability by using local quarry lakes for storage and groundwater recharge.
“This project is an opportunity to gain use of some lakes for storage in the short-term rather than having to wait until completion of all the lakes, which is now estimated to be in 2065,” Gambs said. “Global warming is causing precipitation to be more irregular and more intense, making storage more important.”
He added that he is also happy the agency is working with the city of Pleasanton on the Regional Groundwater Facilities Improvement Project, which aims to build two new groundwater wells in Pleasanton in order to address the rise of PFAS — also known as forever chemicals — found in the region’s groundwater supply.
“We have a very professional staff that is on top of treating the PFAS (forever chemicals) that are in our groundwater basin, and has lined up the projects to make our water supply more reliable,” Gambs said.
Gambs’ seat is one of four up for election this year. He and fellow incumbent Catherine Brown will not be seeking reelection.
Directors Dawn Benson and Sarah Palmer are the two other incumbents whose seats are up for grabs in the at-large election, and both are vying to reclaim their spots, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters’ Office.
Gambs’ decision not to seek reelection was difficult, despite his readiness for full retirement. However, he expressed complete confidence in the current board’s capability to raise critical questions and in the dedicated staff serving the public.
“I have truly enjoyed working with all of you,” Gambs said in an email he sent to his fellow board members. “I believe Zone 7 is in good hands and moving in the right direction.”
