A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
October 10, 2007
2. Supply
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WATER AG SUTS:
Water use to tighten for agricultural customers - North County Times
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA URBAN WATER ISSUES:
District warns of water shortage; Metropolitan Water District asks customers to save 20 gallons a day or face possible rate increase - Orange County Register
CONSERVATION:
DWP's Drought Busters might make a comeback - LA Daily News
Drastic moves on water loom - San Bernardino Sun
Editorial: Water officials should consider incentives to spur saving - LA Daily News
Editorial: Wean yards from water -
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WATER AG SUTS:
Water use to tighten for agricultural customers
By Nicole Sack, staff writer
TEMECULA -- Laura Eggering knew what she was getting into when she agreed to take part in a program offering a reduced price for water used in agriculture.
In exchange for the lower water rate for her De Luz avocado groves, she knew there may come a time when she could be asked to reduce her water consumption.
Eggering was one of about 50 area farmers and growers who met with officials of the Rancho California Water District on Tuesday to discuss the need for a 30 percent reduction in the amount of water used by customers who take part in the Interim Agricultural Water Program, which was established in 1994.
Under the program, agricultural customers pay $394 per acre-foot of water -- $132 less than municipal, industrial and residential customers for the same quantity and quality of water.
But in the eyes of the Metropolitan Water District, which provides the Rancho California district with 70 percent of its water, agricultural water is categorized as surplus water. As Southern California water supplies continue to tighten due to drought and legislative decisions that will restrict the importation of water to
"I'm not happy about it, but I am going to stick to my word and stick with the terms of the agreement," Eggering said of her participation in the agricultural water program. "I'm going to watch my water usage and will start cutting down my trees. I'll keep my good producers, but this could turn out to be very difficult financially. I think we might see a lot of ranches closing down, especially if we have another emergency like last winter's freeze."
She is one of 1,700 customers who will be effected by the mandatory water-use reductions, district officials say.
New threshold levels have been proposed that would cap water use for farming. Each crop and areas of the water district will have different water allowances, but the penalties will be the same across the board. For those customers who, in a six-month period, use more water than allowed by Metropolitan, they will be charged three times their normal rate. That means the cost of one acre-foot of water would rise from $394 to $1,212.
One acre-foot is the volume of water sufficient to cover an acre of land to a depth of 1 foot -- 325,851 gallons. On average, one acre-foot of water is enough to meet the needs of four people for a year.
"I think a lot of these agricultural customers understand that we have a water crisis," said Perry Louck, the Rancho California district's director of planning.
He said that if the district can show its customers are willing to act in good faith and abide by the reductions, then the agricultural water program will likely continue and offer reduced rates for those customers. In 2006, more than 7 billion gallons of reduced-price agricultural water was delivered to district customers.
Louck said only agricultural water users will be affected by the water restrictions, but cautioned that Metropolitan could make a decision in early 2008 that would affect residential, municipal and industrial customers as well.
While the district serves a 150-square-mile area that includes Temecula, Murrieta and other county areas, nearly 47 percent of all the district's water is used for agricultural purposes, said district board member Ben Drake. He said he is concerned about even deeper cutbacks to agricultural water use in the future.
"Right now, we just don't have the ability to get more water (to the district). We're trying to keep agriculture alive long enough until we have other options," said Drake, a farmer in Temecula since 1972. "Water is life in agriculture."
For more information about the water reductions, call the district at (951) 296-6900. #
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/10/10/news/californian/4_03_0610_9_07.txt
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA URBAN WATER ISSUES:
District warns of water shortage; Metropolitan Water District asks customers to save 20 gallons a day or face possible rate increase
Orange County
By Doug Ivring, staff writer
They want people to turn off the faucet when they brush their teeth, and to start using a broom instead of a hose to clean the driveway. Most of all, they want everybody to start paying close attention to how much water they use – and to start saving 20 gallons a day.
The county isn't facing the kind of strict water limits and usage penalties it saw in the early 1990s – not yet, anyway. But its main supplier, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, has put it on notice that rate increases and rationing are coming.
Water officials around the county say it's too early to say how those rate increases will be passed on to customers. It's not too early, they say, for customers to start making changes in their lives – from watering the flowers less to getting out of the shower quicker – to help conserve water.
"We need to conserve water," said Bob Hill, the general manager of the El Toro Water District. "We need to do that all the time."
The problem is not just the dust-dry weather that has parched
The district provides water to cities and local agencies in
But a federal judge has limited the flow of water from the Delta to protect the endangered Delta smelt. The water district estimates that it will lose up to 30 percent of its supply from the Delta next year, even as record drought thins its other sources of water.
Its supply "will not be sufficient to meet the demand" at least some of the time, MWD General Manager Jeff Kightlinger said.
That means the water district will have to use other, more expensive sources of water. It has already set its water rates for next year; but in 2009, it could raise them by up to 10 percent.
The district already plans to cut water deliveries to farms and other agricultural users in January. It's also putting together a plan to limit how much water it makes available to cities and other local water suppliers if conditions worsen.
That would likely lead to the kind of mandatory water-rationing that
"We're getting it ready," Kightlinger said. "We're not implementing it."
That means running washing machines and dish washers only with full loads. It means repairing leaky hoses and leaky toilets. It means shorter showers, half-full baths, drier lawns and dirtier cars.
The district has started a "Water Heroes" program for grade-school kids, giving them badges and books of tickets they can write for water waste. It has more information posted at www.ocwaterhero.com.
It's working on other water-saving initiatives – including rebates to encourage people to replace their natural lawns with artificial turf.
Voluntary water conservation "is going to be our first line of attack," said Marcie Edwards, the general manager of Anaheim Public Utilities. But she added: "If you know someone who can do a rain dance … " #
http://www.ocregister.com/news/water-district-county-1884443-orange-customers
CONSERVATION:
DWP's Drought Busters might make a comeback
LA Daily News – 10/10/07
By Kerry Cavanaugh, staff writer
Water wasters, watch out!
Over-irrigate your lawn or hose down your driveway and you could soon receive a visit from the Drought Busters.
With a shortage of imported water exacerbating the problems caused by another dry year, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power may revive its conservation cops - a crew of employees who cruise the city in search of people wasting water.
The proposal would reactivate the Drought Busters after a 15-year hiatus, although officials envision that the roving workers would issue "friendly reminders" rather than stiff fines.
"I think a friendly reminder would be very helpful," said Robert Rozanski, the DWP's acting general manager. "I was watching people water their sidewalks just this weekend."
The original DWP program was launched during the early 1990s, with more than a dozen full-time employees conducting educational outreach during a dry spell.
But as the drought continued, the Busters became more aggressive, with the authority to levy $150 fines against water wasters.
This time around, the DWP is considering sending out about 10 Busters to target signs of waste with the voluntary reminders, promote water efficiency and distribute low-flow shower heads and literature.
DWP officials did not provide an estimate Tuesday on what the program could potentially cost.
But Rozanski also told the City Council on Tuesday that the utility is considering mandatory rationing.
"If we have another dry year like we had this last year, it's likely we will recommend moving forward with mandatory conservation," Rozanski said.
The utility also might enact other emergency water-conservation measures that are on the books but haven't been enforced through years of normal rainfall.
These include:
No hosing down sidewalks and driveways.
No filling decorative fountains or ponds.
No lawn-watering from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
No serving water to restaurant customers, unless requested.
No refusing to fix a water leak.
No excessive irrigation that causes water to overflow onto the sidewalk and street.
"People understand. They just have to be told," said Councilman Greig Smith. "I was still washing down my driveway at home because government entities hadn't gotten to the point of telling us it's a problem."
So far, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other city leaders have publicly urged residents to voluntarily cut water consumption by 10 percent.
But the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California warned Monday that imported supplies have been dramatically reduced by a recent court decision that limits the export of water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to protect a tiny endangered fish from getting sucked into the pumps.
That cutback, plus the dry weather in
The MWD will cut water to
The LADWP is having its own water-supply issues. The utility has had to cut the amount of water it takes from the
As a result, the utility will buy about 70 percent of its water from the MWD this year compared with 30 percent in previous years.
Councilwoman Jan Perry, who heads the council's Energy and Environment Committee, said she is willing to consider reviving the Drought Busters program if it helps ensure that the city has adequate water.
"They better heed the warnings," Perry said of the DWP. "I'm more than willing to try anything. I don't think it's worth the risk not to." #
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_7131907
Drastic moves on water loom
By Stephen Wall, staff writer
About 800,000 residents in western
Extreme drought conditions and a recent court order requiring that water supplies from Northern California be reduced to save an endangered fish have forced
"The bottom line is
The MWD supplies about 30 percent of the water consumed by customers of the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, which serves Chino, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland and Chino Hills.
The rest of the water comes from ground water, recycled water and flows from the
The MWD is working with the IEUA and other member agencies on voluntary conservation efforts.
The Chino-based IEUA is challenging residents to save 20 gallons of water per day by changing outdoor watering habits, using low-flow toilets, fixing leaky faucets and taking other simple actions.
"This is the driest year on record," said Sondra Elrod, IEUA spokeswoman. "Our message is it's time to get serious about water conservation."
But the voluntary steps might not be enough.
In January, the Board of Directors for the MWD will consider implementing "extraordinary" conservation measures, which could mean forcing cities and member agencies to impose watering restrictions, Muir said.
The board could approve rate hikes of 5 percent to 10 percent in 2009 in order to secure or maintain water supplies, Muir said.
The MWD in January will reduce water deliveries to agricultural customers by 30 percent.
Muir said the MWD also is looking to purchase water from other agencies in the state through water transfer agreements.
He said the board will discuss a plan to deal with potential water shortages at its January meeting.
Martha Davis, IEUA executive manager of policy development, said any increases approved by the MWD would be passed on to local residents.
"For customers, it would mean that rates would go up and the retail agencies would need to conserve more and do more to develop local water supplies that are less expensive than imported water,"
The IEUA is reducing its reliance on water from Northern California by enhancing conservation and water-recycling efforts,
In the next three years,
An acre foot is typically enough water to serve two families of four for a year.
Several factors are contributing to the water woes in
In addition, the Colorado River is in its eighth year of drought and the watershed feeding the system that supplies water from
Furthermore, a federal judge's ruling expected to take effect next year would reduce by 33 percent the amount of water pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The ruling is meant to protect the delta smelt, a small fish threatened with extinction.
"It's very likely that if next year is dry there will be mandatory requirements for water conservation,"
Simple tips to conserve water
Turn off water while you brush your teeth or shave.
Shorten showers by one or two minutes.
Fix leaky faucets.
Wash only full loads of laundry.
Water your lawn before 8 a.m.
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks.
Check sprinklers for leaks and install smart sprinkler controllers.
Install low-flow toilets. #
http://www.sbsun.com/ci_7132562
Editorial: Water officials should consider incentives to spur saving
LA Daily News – 10/9/07
AS
The Metropolitan Water District has announced water cuts of 30 percent to farmers, with everyone else likely to face rationing and rate increases of up to 10 percent. The MWD supplies water to most Southern California cities, including
And when the MWD puts the pinch on local water providers, the immediate reaction would be to pass those costs on to the users.
That might be an effective way to recoup costs, but alone not the best way to do what needs to be done for long-term conservation. Changing public behavior should be the real goal.
Water is a limited resource, and the recent court ruling about the delta smelt that prompted these water cuts illustrates what our collectively cavalier attitude about water has wrought.
Learning to live with less should be the goal. Technology has made this easier, with low-water clothes washers, low-flow toilets and timers for sprinklers. But sometimes it takes a strategic shove in the right direction.
That means more than just water rationing. That means more than an across-the-board rate increase that punishes all users - water hogs and longtime water savers - alike. And it means more than just offering water-saving tips.
It means using both carrots and sticks. It means higher rates for unrepentant water hogs; cold, hard cash for longtime savers; and a challenge to everyone to cut back.
Americans hate paying more, but they love a good deal - even if the net result is the same.
How about a rebate for replacing a water-sucking landscaping with a drought-tolerating one, similar to the deal the Las Vegas Valley Water District offers its users?
How about rate cuts for people who consistently use 10 percent less water, similar to the DWP's highly successful electricity-saving program in 2001?
If projections are correct, then the future for
http://www.dailynews.com/search/ci_7131227?IADID=Search-www.dailynews.com-www.dailynews.com
Editorial: Wean yards from water
The advent of cooler autumn weather means it's time for homeowners to cut back the watering times on their automatic sprinklers. Lawns of most varieties can survive quite nicely in winter-long dormancy.
This might also be a good time for us to consider other landscaping options, however. Like no lawn at all.
The West is an arid place and lawns suck up an inordinate amount of water. Most people are loath to allow their lawns to go brown, as lawns sometimes do during the most brutal stretches of summer, so we drench the yard with staggering amounts of precious water.
The state is facing a water crisis and low-flush toilets aren't a sufficient remedy. Between 60 percent and 80 percent of the typical home's total water use goes into the yard, with lawns being the main beneficiary.
It's time we did something about it. Homeowners need to consider replacing all or portions of their lawns with drought-resistant shrubs and ground cover, and legislators should explore tax incentives for people willing to try it.
Schools should formulate lessons that focus on water conservation, educating future homeowners who can liberate themselves from the "perfect lawn" culture so ingrained in people today.
Here are other selling points: Drought-resistant shrubs and ground cover are easier to take care of than lawns; they spare the air from particulate-spewing mowers and blowers; and they contribute to more peaceful Saturday mornings. Let's encourage new attitudes about the traditional suburban lawn. #
http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/editorials/story/256179.html
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