HomeMy WebLinkAboutF-2 Drought Local Water Supply Information Item
Presented *IA115
F-2
INFORMATION ITEM
TO: HONORABLE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE AZUSA
UTILITY BOARD
FROM: GEORGE F. MORROW,DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES
DATE: MARCH 23, 2015
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE DOUGHT AND LOCAL WATER SUPPLY
Staff will present a verbal overview of the current status of the drought and Azusa's
water supply situation for 2015.
Attached is a Media Release by the State Waiter Resources Control Board (SWRCB)
regarding the expansion and extension of their emergency thought regulations.
Prepared by: George F. Morrow,Director of Utilities
Attachment: SWRCB Media Release dated March 17,2015
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Media Release
Water Boards
State Water Board Expands and Extends
Emergency Water Conservation Regulation
For Immediate Release Contact: George Kostyrko
March 17, 2015 gkostyrko(dwaterboards.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO —As California enters a fourth year of severe drought, the State Water
Resources Control Board Tuesday adopted an expanded emergency regulation to safeguard
the state's remaining water supplies. While Californians have made great strides to conserve
water, more effort is needed.
"We are experiencing the lowest snowpack and the driest January in recorded history,and
communities around the state are already suffering severely from the prior three years of
drought,"said State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus. "If the drought continues through next
winter and we do not conserve more-- the consequences could be even more catastrophic
than they already are. Today's action is just a tune-up and a reminder to act, and we will
consider more significant actions in the weeks to come."
While communities and water suppliers have saved substantial amounts of water since the
water conservation emergency regulation was first adopted in July 2014, there are many more
opportunities for Californians to conserve in even greater amounts. The expanded emergency
regulation captures some of these opportunities while continuing to give urban water suppliers
flexibility to take actions that reflect their local conditions as long as they meet the minimum
requirements. The State Water Board strongly encourages water suppliers to do much more
than the minimum required by the regulation.
Today's action incorporates lessons learned from implementation of the emergency regulation
approved in 2014 and feedback from urban water suppliers and the public.
Prohibited Water Use
Under today's action, the prohibitions on potable water use,first adopted in 2014, will continue,
and new prohibitions will go into effect. All Californians are now prohibited from:
❑ washing down sidewalks and driveways;
❑ watering outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes excess runoff;
❑ washing a motor vehicle with a hose, unless the hose is fitted with a shut-off nozzle;
❑ operating a fountain or decorative water feature, unless the water is part of a
recirculating system;and
CAL , O R N A E N V R O N M E N T A PRCTEC T C f. ALE N _
STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD
a 1001 I Street,Sacramento,CA 95814.915-3411254•Mailing Address:P.D.Box 100,Sacramento,CA 95512-0100•www.waNrpoards.Ca.gov
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❑ irrigating turf or ornamental landscapes during and 48 hours following measurable
precipitation (new).
(New)Prohibitions affecting commercial businesses include:
O restaurants and other food service establishments can only serve water to customers on
request; and
O operators of hotels and motels must provide guests with the option of choosing not to
have towels and linens laundered daily and prominently display notice of this option.
Water Agency Requirements
The biggest change for urban water suppliers is the creation of a floor, or minimum standard,
for outdoor irrigation restrictions. Outdoor irrigation represents 50 to 80 percent of all water use
for some communities in the state. Irrigating outdoor ornamental landscapes is a questionable
use of a limited resource when some communities are running out of water in this fourth
consecutive year of drought. Urban water suppliers must now limit the number of days per
week that customers can irrigate outdoors. The limit must either be specified in their drought
contingency plans; or if their plan contains no specific limit, irrigation is limited to no more than
two days per week.
Water agencies will also be required to notify customers when they are aware of leaks that are
within the customer's control. Finally, monthly reporting requirements will be expanded to
include the limit on days for outdoor irrigation and a description of compliance and
enforcement efforts.
For smaller water suppliers, the expanded regulation clarifies that if they choose to implement
alternate mandatory measures, in lieu of limiting outdoor irrigation to twice a week; those
measures should be designed to achieve a 20 percent reduction in water consumption.
Local agencies can fine property owners up to$500 a day for failure to implement
conservation requirements and the State Water Board can issue cease and desist orders
against water agencies that don't impose mandatory conservation measures upon their retail
customers. Water agencies that violate cease and desist orders are subject to civil liability of
up to$10,000 a day.
"In a drought this severe, we need to think differently about our daily water use, and need to
sacrifice emerald green lawns and other water use luxuries," Marcus said. "At a time when
hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland lie fallow, thousands are out of work, communities
are running out of water, and fish and wildlife are devastated, and when locally stored urban
water supplies are shrinking,we need to step up the pace of conservation. Water agencies
should be motivating customers to take even more responsibility for the amount of water used
in homes, backyards, businesses, parks and everywhere else."
Following Board adoption, the regulation will be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law,
which has 10 days to approve or deny the regulation. If approved by the Office of
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Administrative Law,the regulation will take effect immediately and remain in effect for 270
days from that date.
For more information, please visit the Emerclencv Water Conservation website.
Governor Brown has called on all Californians to reduce their water use by 20 percent and
prevent water waste —visit SaveOurWater.com to find out how everyone can do their part, and
visit DrOUQht.CA.Gov to learn more about how California is dealing with the effects of the
drought.
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