DROUGHT: Locally
“We are exceeding our state certification targets of 10 percent,” Seidel said. “People have learned a new way of life in terms of using water in daily routines.”
In August, Cal Water Marysville customers conserved a total of 14.5 percent compared to the amount of water used in 2013 – a baseline year before the drought that districts use to compare usage.
Tim Shaw, general manager for OPUD, said customers in his district are conserving at a high level. In July, customers conserved about 20 percent. In August, OPUD customers conserved a total of 30 percent.
Yuba City Public Works has a new conservation mark of 15 percent, down from the previous mandate of 28 percent.
The conservation standard of 15 percent was established by the city and approved by the City Council in June.
Yuba City was highlighted in a report done by the state for its conservation efforts.
In July, the city conserved 29.7 percent. In August, it conserved a total of 20.8 percent of the water used in the same month back in 2013.
The Linda County Water District was given a 0 percent water conservation mark, down from the 29 percent requirement it previously had.
Brian Davis, district manager, said even though the district was given a 0 percent mark, the district’s board self-implemented a 10 percent conservation mark.
“It was to acknowledge that there is still a drought going on, and in an effort to meet a state-mandate of 20 percent reduction by 2020, which was set for all districts,” Davis said.
In July, Linda customers conserved 29 percent. In August, customers conserved 20 percent. Davis said the drop in conservation can be attributed to different factors but said it was mainly due to it being a warmer month.
The new self-imposed conservation marks will go until January 2017, when the State Water Resources Control Board will convene to set a new statewide mandate for conservation.
Shaw said he believes the January mandate, which was set up before water districts had the opportunity to self-certify, was scheduled to give the state the ability to reinstitute a statewide conservation mark if water districts don’t continue to conserve at a high-enough rate.
He said it was also a precaution in case a large number of districts selfcertified a 0 percent conservation mandate, which ended up being the case with about 85 percent of the districts applying for no reduction limits.
“It seemed like a warning at the time,” Shaw said. “Now that 85 percent have done that, it’s more than a warning. It could be labeled as a promise.”
He said the state’s strategy is interesting, considering it ultimately has the authority to do what they need in a short amount of time.
“If it’s a really wet winter, they won’t need to do it and most people will forget (about conservation standards),” Shaw said. “But if it’s not a wet winter by January, I expect a lot of change to occur, and things going back to the way it was before self-certification.”