California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
Water agencies in San Diego County may be moving to defy Governor Jerry Brown’s statewide mandatory water reduction. Santa Fe Irrigation District was ordered to save 36 percent, the highest mandated amount, earlier this year. Although the district managed to meet that reduction during the first few months, they have failed to meet those numbers during the winter months, something they say is almost impossible to do when water usage is already significantly lower.
One of Santa Fe Irrigation District’s chief complaints: San Diego isn’t being treated fairly by the state. Although San Diego County has invested in water infrastructure projects, the state is still mandating they conserve.
“San Diego should not be punished for making investments in new, reliable water supplies,” Michael Hogan, Santa Fe Irrigation District board president, told the Sacramento Bee. “We’re not saying we don’t need to have a reduction in the county, but it needs to be adjusted for the (new) water supplies we’ve produced.”
The board of directors is facing a $10,000 a day fine for every day the district fails to meet their conservation number. According to Hogan, the board may discuss alternatives to address the issue, like legal action.
