Efforts to Save Water Go Well Beyond the New State Requirements
SOQUEL – While the State Water Resources Board is now taking new steps to require the public to increase water conservation, the Soquel Creek Water District (District) and its customers are several leaps ahead.
The State Board approved new emergency regulations on Tuesday aimed at reducing outdoor water use and eliminating water waste. The District has required several of these measures for many years, and the District Board unanimously passed a strengthened ordinance that went into effect June 17, 2014. This action supports the District’s declaration of a Groundwater and Stage 3 Water Shortage Emergency.
Since Governor Brown’s declaration of a statewide emergency, Soquel Creek Water District and other local agencies immediately took action to support the call for water reductions. “Our customers have really embraced water conservation and we truly appreciate their efforts of doing more to use less,” said Kim Adamson, Soquel Creek Water District General Manager. District statistics have been very favorable and customers have shown their commitment to increase conservation:
- Groundwater pumping for the month of June indicates District customers used approximately 16% less compared to last year
- The Fourth of July holiday is typically one of the highest water usage days of the year. Over this past holiday, District pumping was 21% less than last year’s July 4th
- District customers have saved over 87 million gallons (267 acre-feet) from January through June compared to last year during this time period
These water savings are attributed to the District initiating its own operational reductions as well as customers voluntarily changing their behaviors and complying with the District’s water waste regulations.
“We have had regulations about wasting water in place for some time and we recently updated them to be more aggressive and include actions for local businesses,” said Kim Adamson, Soquel Creek Water District General Manager. “Our updated Ordinance covers more areas, allows customers a specific amount of time to correct violations like leaks, and enhances our enforcement process.”
Both the District’s Ordinance and the new State regulations prohibit washing hard surfaces with water, causing water runoff, washing cars without a shut-off nozzle on the hose and operating a fountain or water feature with potable water unless it’s re-circulated water.
The District now also prohibits using spray overhead irrigation between 10:00am and 8:00pm, leaks must be fixed within 72 hours, cooling equipment must use re-circulated water, restaurants may only serve drinking water when requested, hotels must offer the option of foregoing daily laundering of towels and linens, and no one may water or irrigate during a curtailment period in a manner that’s not compliant with restrictions. “Customers who see water being wasted can email us at [email protected] or call us at 475-8501, extension 148, and we will look into it,” Adamson said. By reporting water waste, customers help to educate their neighbors and community about the water waste rules. District staff will investigate and issue a water waste warning, a courtesy reminder about the rules. Further action will be enforced if corrections aren’t made such as turning off service, installing flow restrictors, or enforcing penalty fines.
The State has recognized that its restrictions will need to be in place for more than just this year, and acknowledges it’s likely we’ll need to conserve even more. Again, the District is at the forefront of innovative conservation programs.
The District’s upcoming CONSERVATIONplus program will allocate each home a water budget of 75 gallons per person per day, or about 2,250 gallons a month. That amount is based on a level of water needed for basic indoor needs plus a small amount for outdoor watering of drought-tolerant landscapes. Businesses will need to follow water conservation best practices that include high-efficiency toilets and faucets, no overhead spray irrigation and no watering outdoor turf at all.
“Each and every person in the District will play a key role in reducing our water use,” Adamson concludes. “We will succeed by working together as a community—and showing the rest of the State that it can be done.”
The Soquel Creek Water District is a nonprofit, local government agency providing water to Capitola, Aptos, La Selva Beach, Opal Cliffs, Rio Del Mar, Seascape and Soquel.