Remembering Jim Kohnen, Former Water Agency Director

Submitted by: Dublin San Ramon Services District

Former Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) Board member and Zone 7 Water Agency Board member James Kohnen died Tuesday afternoon in his home. 

Mr. Kohnen served on the DSRSD Board from 1992 to 2000. When running for office in 1992, Mr. Kohnen said the District needs to make plans to serve developments planned for Dougherty Valley, directly east of San Ramon and east and west Dublin.

“It’s incumbent upon us and it would be irresponsible for us as a service district, if we didn’t aggressively plan for services to meet the needs (in those areas) now and in the future,” Kohnen said in a pre-election article in the Valley Times on October 24, 1992. He went on to say that “the District should encourage the use of recycled water and other water-saving techniques.” Mr. Kohnen delivered on his campaign promises.

 “Mr. Kohnen played an integral part in creating the modern District that now exists,” said DSRSD General Manager Bert Michalczyk, “He had his hand in developing the Dougherty Valley, in bringing recycled water to this Valley, and in the expansion of our wastewater treatment plant. Mr. Kohnen contributed to the expansion of water, wastewater, and recycled water services to east Dublin. And he was instrumental in the expansion of the Livermore Amador Valley Water Management Agency that built the pipeline to transport treated wastewater from member agencies’ treatment plants in this Valley, west, over the Dublin grade, to a deep water outfall in the San Francisco Bay. We are saddened at the news of Jim’s death.”

After serving his term with DSRSD, Mr. Kohnen went on to serve on the Board of Directors of the Zone 7 Water Agency from 2004 to 2008. While at Zone 7 he was known for his attention to detail and insistence on high quality work. 

He was instrumental in Zone 7’s adoption of the Groundwater Management Plan and the Well Master Plan, as well as the Stream Management Master Plan.  All three of these still guide the Agency’s activities having to do with integrated groundwater management and regional flood protection for eastern Alameda County. 

“Mr. Kohnen was a good advocate on the Zone 7 Board for assuring fiscal responsibility and business-like approaches to agency administration,” said General Manager Jill Duerig.

Editor's Note:  A funeral for Kohnen will be held next Monday, June 4 at 10:00 a.m. at  in Dublin.

Patch wrote a story about Pat and Jim Kohnen in February of 2011. 

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