Regional Water Authority urging members to shift to groundwater use

Last week the Regional Water Authority (RWA) Board of Directors adopted a resolution urging their members to consider actions, such as asking customers to voluntary conserve and shift to using groundwater, in order to help the environment of the Lower American River.

“While the Sacramento region is in a strong position to meet the water supply needs of people, the dry conditions are expected to stress the environment of the Lower American River, one of our region’s greatest treasures,” said RWA Executive Director Jim Peifer. “We are calling on local water providers to reduce their reliance Folsom Lake and the Lower American River for their water supplies as much as possible.”

The RWA will also be increasing advertising to promote water efficiency and offering several new rebate programs to help customers install water-efficient irrigation, replace thirsty lawn with low-water plants, and fix household leaks.

“It’s important to remember that we’ve been here before—and frankly will be here again with climate change,” Peifer said.

Suggestions to reduce water usage include:

• Install a soil moisture sensor.
• Replace older sprinklers with more high-efficiency rotary nozzles.
• Install a weather-based sprinkler timer.
• Water plants early in the morning to reduce evaporation.
• Check and fix leaks in and around the home.