California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
The San Diego County Water Authority has activated its Level 1 – Voluntary Conservation of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan. The agency’s 36-member Board of Directors voted unanimously to activate the regional drought response plan for the third time this century.
While the San Diego region continues to have long-term water resilience and reliable water supplies due to decades of conservation efforts and ratepayer investments, Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl said it’s critical to advance statewide efforts to combat drought.
“This is an all-hands moment,” said Kerl. “We are fully supportive of the governor’s efforts and fully engaged in helping residents and businesses do their part each and every day.”
On Oct. 19, Gov. Newsom extended his drought emergency declaration to cover the entire state and asked the State Water Board to ban wasteful water practices such as using potable water for washing driveways and sidewalks. In addition, the governor directed water suppliers to implement Water Shortage Contingency Plans, which are responsive to local supply-demand conditions.
The Water Authority’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan, or WSCP, is designed for situations in which the agency’s supplies have been reduced. Previous versions of the plan have been activated twice before – once in 2007 and again in 2014.
At Level 1, the Water Authority will continue and enhance regional outreach and education to promote conservation. The agency offers numerous tools to make the most of every drop at www.watersmartsd.org. Resources include:
- Water-use efficient landscape classes for residential and professional landscapers
- Rebates for indoor and outdoor water saving devices
- Rebates for turf replacement
- Water-use checkups for homes and businesses that include water-saving recommendations
The Water Authority is also developing a program to increase installation of low-flow toilets in low-income communities, and it’s looking for opportunities to help the parts of the state that are suffering from extreme water shortages. The Water Authority has groundwater stored in the Central Valley that could be exchanged or sold, and the Water Authority is seeking partners who could benefit from increasing water production at the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant.
