How San Jose residents can navigate extreme drought
We’ve all seen the headlines: California is facing an extreme drought. But what does that really mean for San Jose residents, and what can we do about it? There are no easy answers, but as president of San Jose Water, I have a duty to our customers to put the best plan of action in place to preserve our way of life here in the Valley.
There are still a lot of unknowns in terms of the weather patterns this winter and next. What I can assure you of is that SJW will never let our customers go without safe, reliable water — no matter what. That commitment will take a concerted team effort from everyone in our community in order to navigate this time of water scarcity. I’ll lay out briefly what we’re facing, what San Jose Water customers can do to conserve water during this extreme drought, and how SJW can help. By making these small but meaningful adjustments in our daily lives, we can navigate this difficult time together safely.
As recently reported in The Mercury News, San Jose has just experienced its driest year in 128 years of record-keeping. The U.S. Drought Monitor places nearly 90% of California in extreme-to-exceptional drought conditions, including the entire Bay Area. Our local reservoirs are historically low, currently at 12.5% of capacity, and the recent rains were not nearly enough to restore the volume after two consecutive dry years. While San Jose Water customers have been making an admirable effort to conserve, we aren’t out of the woods yet.
The California Public Utilities Commission has approved San Jose Water’s plan for managing water during this ongoing extreme drought, and the new rules have gone into effect. Put simply, each customer will receive a set water allocation based on their 2019 usage. After that, any units of water above the monthly drought allocation will be charged at $7.13 per unit. There is also a minimum allocation in order to recognize the efforts of our super savers.
This plan is different from the one used during the previous drought. It takes into account existing water supply conditions, Valley Water’s call for conservation, and lessons learned from the droughts in 2015-16 and in the early 1990s. Every household’s water usage is different, which is why allocations are being calculated on an individual basis drawn from recorded usage data.
The way customers choose to conserve will vary from home to home. We recommend taking the time to reflect on your household’s standard water use to determine how best to save. We are asking that you focus on outdoor irrigation, including watering only two days per week in the late evening for only 15 minutes. Other conservation options include making use of car washes that recycle water rather than washing at home, and not refilling the backyard pool.
In terms of what we do as a company to conserve water, we are utilizing advanced leak detection technology and water flushing trucks on a daily basis to ensure no excess water is wasted. We also maintain a long list of practical conservation advice on our website at www.sjwater.com/conservation-tips that includes free water checkups through our CATCH program. With this program, an expert visits your home to identify visible leaks and recommend critical water and money-saving improvements. Additionally, Valley Water (our supplier) offers free water conservation tools and upgrades; see www.valleywater.org/ water-conservation-programs.
San Jose Water is a company that has provided the greater San Jose metropolitan area with safe, reliable drinking water for over 150 years. That legacy wouldn’t be possible without the partnership we’ve formed with our customers. The Valley has transformed tremendously in the past century, but our commitment to each other has remained strong. That’s a strength no fire, flood or drought can ever touch, and something for which we are so grateful. We’ll get through this time of scarcity just as we always have — together.