With the state still mired in a drought, officials with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on May 22 stepped up their call for residents to conserve water as summer begins.
“Summer is around the corner and we are asking people in Southern California to do what they can to lower their water use during the upcoming hot months, especially cutting back on their outdoor watering where up to 60 percent of water is used,” MWD Board Chairman Randy Record said. “Consumers and businesses can make a difference this summer by taking immediate action to lower demand. Every gallon of water saved this summer is one more gallon we can keep in reserve.”
Officials with MWD, the agency that manages most water imported into Southern California, said conservation is needed to preserve water reserves that will be needed as the drought continues. They noted that the Southland is already dipping into its reserves to meet this year’s demand.
MWD recently bolstered incentive programs urging residents to replace turf landscaping with more drought-tolerant plants and extended rebates for the use of rain barrels and low-flow toilets.
The agency also plans to reinstate an online gauge that residents can view to get an idea of how the Southland’s water reserves are holding up. The gauge, which was used during the 2008-10 drought, will be available on the MWD’s websites, www.mwdh2o.com and www.bewaterwise.com.
The district will also be running radio and television ads throughout the summer urging conservation.
“We’re encouraged by the strong public response our conservation rebate and incentive programs have already received,” MWD General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger said. “We prefer to use a carrot to encourage conservation rather than a stick. Saving water now can help us avoid penalties next year.”
According to MWD, the Southland is receiving the smallest allocation in the 43-year history of State Water Project deliveries from Northern California.
The MWD includes 26 cities and water agencies serving nearly 19 million people in six counties.
