Could changes to state water conservation hit Lodi efforts?

City officials say it’s too early to tell how Lodi might be affected by California’s new conservation master plan that would budget water use by urban water districts based on their climates and other local conditions.

Gov. Jerry Brown ordered up the state plans for improving long-term water conservation in May after lifting a statewide order for 25-percent water conservation. State agencies responded last week with a conservation plan that would include customized water-use limits for urban districts, with a focus on fixing leaks that drain away upward of 10 percent of processed water. The new plans would also require cities to draft contingency plans for droughts up to five years, up from the current requirement for a threeyear supply of water.

Lodi Public Works director Charlie Swimley said he is not sure how the plan would affect Lodi if adopted. He said the city will continue to monitor the new executive order and make any adjustments that are necessary to comply.

Swimley said that since the governor’s mandatory conservation measures were lifted, Lodi has already made strides in conservation, going from a 30-percent savings target down to a 6-percent target based on the city’s water supply. When they city went from the Stage 3 alert to the Stage 2 alert, it allowed Lodians to water three days a week instead of two, with a conservation target of 10 percent.

“Our customers have continued their practice of conservation and have conserved their 29 percent as of Oct. 1,” Swimley said.

City customers used 29.5 percent less water in October than they did in October 2015, and water consumption is 25.5 percent lower in 2016 than through the first 10 months of 2013.

He said the city has been taking its water conservation efforts seriously for some time, utilizing officers to help educate customers on the proper irrigation techniques throughout the season and conducting water audits for customers that have concerns about their usage or water bill.

The city is also in the process of metering all the residences in Lodi. Swimley said the project is in the sixth of eight phases.