Water agency moves into stage 4b of drought response plan

Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), which covers the eastern side of Riverside County, has now moved to their stage 4b drought response plan. The stage 4b tier requires customers to reduce their outdoor water budgets up to 50 percent. Instead of cutting customer budgets by 50 percent, EMWD’s board of directors decided a 30 percent cut would be much more manageable for residents.

The decision by EMWD’s board of directors comes after the water agency failed to meet their 28 percent water cutback for three consecutive months. EMWD customers saved 15 percent in June, 27 percent in July and 18 percent in August, compared to their 2013 levels.

“Decisions like this are difficult, in large part because we know the tremendous efforts our customers have made throughout the past decade. We are in unprecedented times and while we hope this drought ends soon, we sincerely appreciate the continued sacrifices our customers continue to make,” said EMWD president Randy Record.

Residents who stay within their allocated water use will continue to pay the normal rate of $3.28 per unit. Those who exceed their water allocation will be charged more, as much as $10.76 per unit.

According to EMWD spokesman Kevin Pearson, the district doesn’t want customers to kill their trees and shrubs. They want residents to cut back on watering grass, where real water savings can take place.

To help ease the burden of water cutbacks, EMWD encourages its customers to take part in their rebate programs for smart irrigation controllers, water-efficient sprinkler nozzles and other devices.