[Water_news] 2. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: SUPPLY - 7/10/07

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment 

 

July 10, 2007

 

2. Supply

 

Drought-stricken OC gets new plea to save water

Orange County Register – 7/10/07

By Alex Baron, staff writer

 

Orange County and the rest of Southern California will today be asked to conserve an additional 7 billion gallons of water per year to help the region get through a severe drought that might last well into next year.

 

The request will come from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which is expected to pass a $6 million package of incentives. MWD will offer to help pay for everything from synthetic turf to low-flow urinals to more efficient sprinklers.

 

MWD isn't preparing to impose mandatory rationing, as it did during a drought in the early 1990s. But tougher measures could follow.

 

"I didn't think they (the MWD board) went far enough," said Ergun Bakall, a MWD commissioner who represents most of south Orange County.

 

“Thirty cents rebate for something that costs 12 dollars. I don’t think that’s much of an incentive," Bekall said, referring to the MWD's new rebate for installing synthetic turf. He echoed board member Larry Dick, who represents parts of north Orange County, in pointing out that the rebate did not even exceed the turf's sales tax.

 

MWD is strapped for water now due to problems with its two primary supplies. The Colorado River basin is in its eighth year of severe drought, and pumping from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has been interrupted over the last two months to protect the endangered Delta smelt. #

http://blogs.ocregister.com/sciencedude/archives/2007/07/alex_oc_to_be_p_1.html#more

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