Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
October 28, 2008
1. Top Items -
Water conservation lags
Rural usage spikes offset urban savings
By Mike Lee
Water districts in more urban areas of the county such as
But increased conservation by residents and businesses in those communities was essentially offset by rural districts, where farmers didn't conserve as heavily from July through September as they had during the first half of 2008.
Overall, the county's 23 main water districts continue to save more water than they did last year, but their combined conservation rate fell slightly during the summer from 12.8 percent to about 12 percent. And less than half the districts are meeting the regional goal of trimming water consumption at least 10 percent.
The data, provided by the San Diego County Water Authority, compare January through September with the same period in 2007.
The uptick in non-farm conservation gave water officials reason for mild optimism heading into the winter, but it doesn't change the perilous situation the county faces next year. Water district officials countywide said 2009 is likely to bring mandatory water-use restrictions and higher rates meant to decrease demand.
“Hopefully, the combination of the cooler weather, the shorter days and the advertising messages getting through to people means that we will see this (conservation) trend continue” in urban areas, said John Liarakos, a spokesman for the water authority.
At the end of September, some of the biggest conservation gains came in districts that had lagged behind the pack at midyear.
“That would be to me an indication that folks have actually stepped up and they have started to hear the message,” said Alex Ruiz, a deputy director in the city's Water Department.
He and other city leaders, including Mayor Jerry Sanders, have been holding community forums around
The city's success was tarnished by the fact that it ranks second-worst regionally in conservation rate – behind the Lakeside district – and is only about halfway to its goal of 10 percent, water authority figures show.
In June, the Olivenhain Municipal Water District in Encinitas had the worst year-over-year conservation rate at less than 1 percent. The most recent numbers show the rate is up to 5.4 percent compared with 2007.
General Manager Kimberly Thorner attributed the improvement to a districtwide survey that got people thinking more about water use.
“Most of our customers have done something to conserve water and they are willing to make more changes,” she said.
Olivenhain is among the districts preparing for drastic measures by next year. Under the most extreme conditions, the district is preparing to increase its water rates up to 75 percent more than the rates proposed for 2009.
In
Public Works Director David Scherer said the huge decline is due to several factors, including a few dozen neighborhood meetings about the region's water shortage, the city's civic spirit and aggressive conservation at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
Still, Scherer isn't satisfied. “Though we have conserved, we still have a ways to go,” he said.
Several other water agencies in the county showed little change from their midyear conservation rates.
Water use in rural areas remains well below that of 2007, in part because many farmers had contracts that mandated 30 percent reductions.
In the first half of this year, farmers saved far more than they had to in case they needed that water to get through heat waves. Over the summer, the conservation rate slipped a few percentage points in many agricultural districts as farmers watered a little more liberally during the hottest part of the year. #
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20081028/news_1m28water.html
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