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Category Archives: Drought

Water Authority Recommends Adoption of Voluntary Conservation Measures on Feb. 13

The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors is accelerating its schedule to address unprecedented drought conditions in California. The Board will consider urging increased voluntary water conservation at a special meeting on Feb. 13.

The Water Authority staff is recommending a stepped-up drought response by activating the agency’s Water Shortage and Drought Response Plan to help preserve stored water reserves in Southern California and assist in managing the potential long-term impacts of the state’s water crisis.

Water Authority Recommends Mandatory Water-Use Restrictions

In response to deepening drought conditions and new statewide directives, the San Diego County Water Authority staff will recommend that the agency’s Board of Directors activate the next stage of the region’s drought response plan next week and declare a Level 2 Drought Alert calling for mandatory water conservation measures to prevent water waste. The actions would help San Diego County keep as much water as possible in storage for 2015 and comply with emergency water conservation mandates approved today by the State Water Resources Control Board.

Historic San Vicente Dam Raise Project Completed

The largest water storage project in San Diego County history is complete, providing the region with a critical hedge against future water shortages.

The San Vicente Dam Raise project adds 152,000 acre-feet of water storage capacity to the reservoir, enough to serve more than 300,000 homes for a year. Filling the reservoir will take two to five years, depending on water supply and demand conditions statewide. The newly added storage volume is greater than any reservoir in the county.

Countywide Water Use Shrinks 28 Percent in January

Year-over-year water use in San Diego County declined by nearly 30 percent for the second straight month in January, another sign that the residents and businesses are taking additional steps to conserve water and comply with mandatory water-use restrictions during what’s shaping up to be a fourth consecutive dry year. The savings occurred despite continued high temperatures and economic growth putting upward pressure on water consumption.

Countywide Water Use Decreases 29 Percent in December

Water use in the San Diego region plummeted by 29 percent in December 2014 compared to the same month a year earlier, evidence that many residents, businesses and farmers turned off their irrigation systems for long periods following a series of rainstorms. The savings totaled 10,636 acre-feet, enough to serve more than 21,000 typical four-person households for a year.

Resolve to Save Water in 2015 by Turning off Sprinklers after Rainstorms

A storm expected to drop rain and snow across San Diego County today and tomorrow should make it easy to start 2015 by saving water – a great New Year’s resolution for everyone in the region to adopt after more than three years of drought. By turning off irrigation systems following significant rainfall, residents can conserve valuable water supplies and help the region withstand drought conditions.

Water Authority Calls for More Equitable Approach to State Water-Use Regulations

The San Diego County Water Authority is calling on residents across the region to significantly increase water conservation as it works with state regulators to improve draft water-use regulations released this week. The Water Authority is recommending fixes to ensure that the final regulations don’t punish ratepayers who already have conserved, undermine communities that have invested in new supplies, or unnecessarily threaten state and regional economies.