Mandatory cuts: Water managers issue call for sweeping reductions
Dead lawns and dirty cars may be the future for California under mandatory water reductions of up to 36 percent rolled out Saturday by state water officials.
The unprecedented regulation, which comes despite concern that the state is overreaching, builds on an earlier proposal that compels heavy water users to make the biggest sacrifices as California faces a fourth year of drought.
Under the new mandate, each of the state’s 400 largest water agencies is assigned to one of nine tiers of cuts, with those that have historically consumed more water required to make larger reductions — even more than the initial proposal recommended.
A handful of spots in the Bay Area, including Hillsborough, Discovery Bay, Atherton and Woodside, join a roster of
94 guzzlers, most of them in Southern California, that must curb their water use 36 percent, compared with 2013 levels.
San Francisco, with its relatively low water use, is among 23 places that face an 8 percent cut, slightly less than the 10 percent initially proposed. The 8 percent tier is the second-least demanding, after a 4 percent tier reserved for areas that don’t import water and have a rare abundance of supply.
The remainder of communities face reductions of between 12 and 32 percent.
New regulations
The State Water Resources Control Board is expected to put final touches on the new regulation by April 28, after a period of public comment, with the mandatory cuts scheduled to take effect by June.
“I think it will be a little difficult for some people who haven’t been paying attention,” said Justin Skarb, spokesman for the private California Water Service utility that provides water to several Bay Area communities, including Atherton and Woodside. “But I think most Californians recognize that we’re in a serious drought.”
Under the state mandate, individual water agencies will be responsible for making sure their required reduction is achieved, whether that means slapping customers with new restrictions or just pressing harder for voluntary measures.
Utilities that don’t hit their target could face fines of up to $10,000 a day.
California Water Service, like most water agencies, doesn’t know yet exactly what it will do to reduce consumption. But Skarb said limits on water use for residents and businesses, and fines for those who go over, are likely.
“You’re going to see a number of communities across California moving to water allocations for their customers,” he said.
The mandatory reductions are a response to Gov. Jerry Brown’s order this month for a 25 percent statewide drop in urban water use. It’s the first time California has resorted to statewide rationing and comes as major reservoir levels across the state approach record lows.
The regulation includes several changes from the initial proposal, adjustments that State Water Board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus said make the cuts easier to achieve and more equitable
The new terms, for example, expand the number of reductiontarget tiers, lessening the difference between the sizes of cuts for similar areas. Also, water agencies are assigned to groups based on consumption during a threemonth summer period last year, rather than merely during September, as had been proposed.
Criticism of the rationing effort has been festering. Water agencies and interest groups, which submitted more than 250 letters to the state after the initial proposal April 7, claim that mandatory restrictions are unnecessary, bad for business and too demanding.
“Some conservation measures may include capital projects or municipal code amendments,” wrote George Murdoch, utilities director of the Orange County city of Newport Beach, which is being required to make a 32 percent cut. “This could take time.”
Fast action in S.F.
Water managers in San Francisco, on the other hand, say they expect to achieve their required cut quickly and without more restrictions on residents.
The city has so far relied on state water rules, which mainly restrict outdoor watering, to achieve savings, along with a blitz of public service messages. On Monday, city officials are scheduled to announce another conservation campaign — this time to persuade people to let their lawns go brown.
“We.need every drop of water we can get,” said Tyrone Jue, spokesman for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. “Ornamental turf should be the lowest priority for where we need to use water.”
The East Bay Municipal Utility District, which provides water to much of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, took steps at its meeting Tuesday to hit its state target, which dropped from 20 percent in the initial proposal to 16 percent in Saturday’s order.
The East Bay utility board declared a stage 4 drought emergency, its most critical level, asking customers for 20 percent across-the-board water cuts and threatening penalties for those who use more than four times the average.
Major reductions
The San Jose Water Co. in the South Bay and the Marin Municipal Water District each face a 20 percent reduction under the state regulation.
The Alameda County Water District faces a 16 percent cut, while nearby Contra Costa Water District needs to cut 28 percent.
In addition to the tiered cuts, the regulation adds rules to the state’s existing outdoor watering restrictions. Irrigating street medians with potable water will be prohibited and newly built homes will be required to have drip irrigation systems for watering.
“I think it will be
a little difficult
for some people
who haven’t been
paying attention.” Justin Skarb, California Water Service