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Conserving Water, One Toilet At A Time

Escondido, California City Council Considering Low Level(s) of Mandatory Water Rationing (SanDiegoTribune)

May.07, 2009 in Drought, Public Works, Water Conservation

(May 7, 2009, The San Diego Tribune)

The city of Escondido is considering stepping up its water-conservation efforts from the current Level 1, voluntary water conservation, to Level 2, mandatory restrictions, starting July 1.

That could mean watering lawns only three days a week, Escondido’s utilities director Lori Vereker said.

The City Council is expected to decide if it wants to go to Level 2 when it meets May 20.

The city adopted Level 1 standards in October. At the time, city officials expected to go to Level 2 because of the continuing drought and the anticipated reduction in water supply from the county’s water wholesaler, the San Diego County Water Authority.

Last month, the authority moved to Level 2 drought alert, and decided to cut water delivery to cities and districts by 8 percent beginning July 1.

Although the city has independent water supply via a canal to Lake Henshaw, city officials have decided to recommend cutting water use by 8 percent.

But the new water conservation goal is not expected to be much of a hardship because residents and farmers already have reduced water use by 7 percent, Vereker said.

“The community has already done a wonderful job of voluntarily conserving water. We hope they will step up,” she said.

The 1 percentage point in additional conservation equates to 135 gallons for a family of four per month, said Richard Walker, a deputy utilities manager. Just by eliminating one irrigation cycle, residents could save up to 250 gallons, according to the water authority.

Although Escondido’s regulations allow rate increases when the city declares a higher level of water conservation, Vereker said she likely will not recommend rate hikes.

“If we can’t meet our goals, we will ask to impose those rates,” she said.

Escondido’s water-conservation plan has four levels, the fourth being a water shortage emergency. Under Level 2 rates, households that use no more than 7,000 gallons per month will continue to pay what they are paying now, $3.10 for each 1,000 gallons.

Users who exceed the 7,000-gallon limit will pay more for the additional water. For instance, consumers who use from 7,000 gallons to 20,000 gallons in a month will be charged $7.40 for each 1,000 gallons exceeding the the base allotment.

(Original Article Here)