City Asks Residents to Conserve Water

THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

Sacramento officials may trigger a water storage conservation plan at the Jan. 7 city council meeting as the result of a record dry year.

The proposal being considered follows on the heels of a mandate by the city of Folsom to reduce water use 20 percent due to near-record lows at Folsom Lake which is the primary source of water for that city.

Sacramento city officials are asking residents and businesses to voluntarily cutback their water use.

While city officials said a record dry year and critically low water levels at Folsom Reservoir present serious concerns for the region’s water suppliers. Folsom Reservoir is at 21 percent of capacity and is expected to drop below one-fifth of its capacity in early January, a historically low level, they said.

Current weather forecasts do not predict any measurable precipitation through at least the first week of January and Sacramento officials are preparing to ask City Council to activate the Water Shortage Conservation Plan at its first meeting in 2014.

During the next two weeks, Sacramento officials plan to assess the situation to determine whether to ask the council to take action which could lead to voluntary – or mandated – water conservation measures.

Sacramento’s water supply is diverse, coming from both the Sacramento and American rivers, as well as groundwater wells in the northern part of the city. However, in response to the unusually dry conditions, the city is working with other local water agencies and stakeholders through the American River Water Forum to encourage water conservation.

The city’s Department of Utilities plans to begin increasing existing water waste patrols and increase enforcement of wintertime watering restrictions, which limit outdoor watering to once per week on either Saturday or Sunday.

“The department will also work closely with other City departments to ensure outdoor watering of parks and public spaces is in compliance with the City’s Water Conservation Ordinance,” said Dave Brent, director of the Department of Utilities. “Citizens can report water waste through 311, either by calling or using the 311 app for iPhones and droids.”

Residents should reduce outdoor irrigation during the winter months when many plants are dormant and may not need much water this time of year when temperatures are lower temperatures, and days are shorter.

While most water use is outdoors for irrigation, citizens can consider reducing indoor use in the following ways:

Reduce
•Wash only full loads of clothes–Save 15 gallons per load
•Don’t leave water running while rinsing dishes–Save 2.5 gallons per minute
•Turn off water when brushing teeth or shaving–Save approximately 10 gallons per day
•Take shorter showers and save 2.5 gallons per minute, for every minute you shorten your shower

Repair
•Fix leaky toilets–Save 50-100 gallons per day per toilet
•Fix leaky faucets–Save 15-20 gallons per day per leak

Retrofit
•Install a high-efficiency WaterSense-labeled toilet (1.28 gallons per flush)–Save 19 gallons per person/day and receive a rebate of up to $125 for replacing a pre-1994 toilet, beginning January 1.
•Install a water-efficient clothes washer–Save 15 gallons/load (average top loader is 30-40 gallons per load). $125 rebate available for a CEE tier 3 eligible clothes washer. Visit www.smud.org for updated program funding availability.
•Install efficient, WaterSense-labeled shower heads–Save at least 1 gallon per minute (or 10 gallons per average 10 minute shower).