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‘Water Police’ Patrol Drought-Hit Los Angeles Streets

/in , , /by /Phys.orgby Paul Ramon

Damon Ayala patrols the streets of drought-stricken Los Angeles every day, inspecting the sidewalks. Each time he sees a puddle, he stops.

He is part of the city’s Department of Water and Power team, which looks into hundreds of community complaints filed by neighbors each week about water waste.

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FPUD Declares Level 2 Drought Watch, Requesting Conservation During Drought

/in , /by /Fallbrook Village Newsby Fallbrook Public Utility District

With much of the southwestern United States in a persistent drought that is stressing source waters such as the Colorado River and the State Water Project, the Fallbrook Public Utility District is encouraging everyone to do their part and conserve as much water as possible.

Fortunately, in Fallbrook, the situation isn’t dire like in other parts of the state. Local residents and businesses have been cutting back and conserving for years, and the district is now selling about the same amount of water as it did back in the 1950’s, even though Fallbrook’s population has grown significantly since then.

Other parts of the state aren’t as lucky.

“While there are no mandatory restrictions on watering days and times right now, the governor has hinted that if people don’t conserve more across the state, he will require additional mandatory restrictions, so it’s important that we all do what we can to avoid this,” said Jack Bebee, general manager of FPUD.

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Burbank Tightens Water Restrictions After Usage Jumps 22% in March, 17% in April

/in , /by /CBS Newsby Darleene Powells

Burbank is tightening its water restrictions as the drought worsens, with a goal of cutting water usage by 15%.

Stage III of Burbank’s sustainable water use ordinance goes into effect immediately. City officials say water reduction efforts started out strong, with the city achieving targets in December and January. But Burbank’s water conservation efforts relapsed in a major way since then, with usage jumping to 22.1% in March and 17.0% in April.

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San Diegans Asked to Cut Back On Water Usage

/in , /by /CBS8by Keristen Holmes Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

 It’s time to cut back on water usage. That’s the message from city, county and state leaders Thursday afternoon as officials say this is the worst drought in 1,200 years. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria joined Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency and Gary Croucher, Chair of the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors for the announcement.

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Summer of Water Conservation-Save Our Water-News Conference

Summer of Water Conservation in California

/in , /by

State, regional, and local leaders are joining forces to urge water conservation across San Diego County and statewide at the start of summer. With drought conditions worsening in every corner of the Southwest, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has called on residents and businesses to take additional conservation measures to help ease the effects of extreme drought during the hot summer months.

On June 23, the San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors unanimously adopted a resolution reaffirming the agency’s commitment to conservation after joining California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and regional leaders by committing to additional water-saving measures to combat what scientists call the worst drought in 1,200 years.

The Water Authority is collaborating with the Department of Water Resources’ Save Our Water program, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and its 24 member agencies on public outreach and education efforts this summer designed to stop water waste and increase conservation efforts statewide. In addition to social and traditional advertising campaigns, the Water Authority is planning to attend several community events to hand out “drought survival kits” that include hose nozzles and buckets for collecting shower water for irrigating plants.

Save Every Day, Every Way

“Strengthening efforts to save water should be top of mind for all Californians this summer as California continues to endure extreme drought going into the hottest and driest months of the year,” said Secretary Crowfoot. “Even small actions to cut back on water use, like watering your yard less, can make a lasting impact on the effects of drought in our state and help ensure that we have enough water supply to meet our current and future needs.”

Emergency water conservation regulation

At the governor’s direction, the State Water Resources Control Board in May adopted an emergency water conservation regulation to ensure more substantial water savings. The regulation bans irrigation of non-functional turf in commercial, industrial, and institutional settings statewide, and directs urban water supplies to implement conservation actions under Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans.

San Diego adopts stringent water restrictions

Mayor Gloria said the City of San Diego’s investment in repurified water will enhance supply reliability in years ahead, but he emphasized that it’s important for residents save more water now. He added that the City has adopted more stringent water restrictions under Level 2 of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan.

“As our state and region continue to navigate current drought conditions, we are asking San Diegans to take these prudent water-conservation measures now, so we can help avoid a more dire situation in the near future,” said Mayor Gloria. “The City and its regional partners have a number of rebate and resource programs to help everyone do their part to reduce water use.”

At the Water Authority, Board Chair Gary Croucher said the agency is working with leading local industry associations to promote water conservation by tourists, restaurant patrons and homeowner associations. In addition, the Water Authority sponsors on-farm water conservation measures through the Mission Resource Conservation District and collaborates with the County of San Diego on water-saving rebates in unincorporated areas, along with providing a variety of other resources to residents and businesses at www.WaterSmartSD.org.

“We can do more”

“Thank you to each and every San Diegan who has helped reduce per capita water use in our region by more than 40 percent over the past three decades,” Croucher said. “But the simple fact is that we can and should do more. We are committed to answering the Governor’s call to step up conservation efforts this summer.”

Jerry Sanders, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, joined Thursday’s news conference and encouraged business leaders to take advantage of rebates and programs that help offset the cost of converting non-functional and ornamental turf at their offices. Non-functional turf in commercial, institutional, and industrial landscapes is a major focus of the state conservation actions.

WaterSmart San Diego

“Our community has done an incredible job of investing in our water infrastructure and reliability in ways that have been hailed by national publications as a model for the arid West,” Sanders said. “As we continue to make and benefit from those investments, it’s important that we continue to embrace water-efficiency and conservation has in protecting San Diego County’s economy and quality of life.”

At the San Diego Tourism Authority, Chief Sales Officer Kavin Schieferdecker pledged the tourism industry’s support for informing visitors from around the world about the severe drought conditions in the state and the need for efficient water use.

Water fuels economy

“In the face of extreme drought, it’s clear we need to take additional steps so we can continue to attract visitors from around the globe so we can fuel our local economy while protecting our water supply,” said Schieferdecker. “The San Diego Tourism Authority is pleased to accept the Water Authority’s invitation to join this effort by sharing reminders with our hotels, motels and restaurants and their guests about the need to make the most of every drop.”

The biotech industry association Biocom California was founded in San Diego in response to the drought of the early 1990s to ensure reliable water supplies for what has become a major economic engine for the entire state, said Jimmy Jackson, senior vice president and chief policy officer at Biocom California.

“Access to water is a major factor for life science companies as they consider whether to locate research and manufacturing facilities in this region,” Jackson said. “If the trend of global companies choosing to locate in California is to continue, we must persist in promoting sustainable use of our precious water resources.”

Tightening Water Restrictions Lead More San Diegans to Replace Their Lawns

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby John Carroll / General Assignment Reporter & Anchor Contributors: Roland Lizarondo, Mike Damron / Video Journalist Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

They’ve been part of the American Dream, Southern California style for decades. But verdant lawns are disappearing more and more thanks to shrinking water supplies.

The Golden State is now in its third year of drought. A study published by the journal Nature Climate Change in February found this is the worst drought in what is now the western United States in 1,200 years.

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Opinion: Water Restrictions Show Folly of California’s Rejection of Large-Scale Desalination Projects

/in , /by /The Orange County Registerby Marc Joffe

As the state continues to grapple with drought conditions, water restrictions are being placed on six million residents in Southern California. The latest restrictions are another reminder that the California Coastal Commission’s recent rejection of the Orange County desalination plant, after 24 years of delay, reinforces the state’s position as a laggard in adopting technology that could provide water security. While arid coastal countries worldwide are implementing desalination, the most obvious solution to water scarcity, the Coastal Commission unanimously voted against the Huntington Beach project.

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California Cracks Down on Water Use as It Sees Its Most Severe Drought Ever

/in , , /by /NPRby Ayana Archie

Water restrictions began Wednesday for 6 million residents in Southern California, as the state enters its third year of severe drought and what water officials say is the state’s driest year on record.

Residents and businesses must limit their outdoor watering to one or two days per week or to a set volume of water, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California announced.

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New Water Restrictions in Effect for Millions Across Southern California

/in , , /by /NBC 7 San Diegoby Dana Griffin

This summer, some will be taking shorter showers and lawns will turn yellow as Southern Californians try to conserve water during the drought.

While it mostly affects the Los Angeles area, all Californians are being asked to save water.

Last month — when the state water board approved rules that went into effect on Wednesday — Governor Gavin Newsom said in part, “These conservation measures are increasingly important as we enter the summer months. I’m asking all Californians to step up because every single drop counts.”

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Surviving Socal’s Unprecedented Water Restrictions: a Simple, No-Nonsense Guide

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

With unprecedented water restrictions now in place across Southern California, many are questioning how life will change and whether residents can actually conserve.

Here are 10 things to consider as the new restrictions — most notably limiting outdoor watering to one or two days a week — set in.

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