In May, 2015, the State Water Resources Control Board mandated the City to reduce water consumption by 32% compared to 2013, and the Lincoln City Council adopted mandatory water restrictions to meet this goal. City residents and businesses stepped up and our water conservation percentage exceeded our goal for the months of June, July, and August. However, the percentage of water use reduction has steadily dropped and in the months of September and October we failed to meet our water conservation goal. The majority of water use in Lincoln occurs outdoors. As outdoor irrigation drops throughout the fall and winter months, it will become challenging to meet this mandated conservation goal. The table below shows the City's 2015 water savings over 2013 for the past several months:
Month
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June
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July
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August
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September
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October
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Average
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2015 Savings Over 2013
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39.0%
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38.3%
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34.3%
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26.4%
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26.2%
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32.8%
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If water conservation continues to trend at the September and October levels of 26%, the cumulative average water use reduction will drop below 32% in November. At that point, it will be extremely difficult to bring water conservation high enough during the winter for the City to meet its mandate from the state.
We are asking all residents and businesses to take immediate water conservation steps. These include:
- Adhering to all current water restrictions, available on the City's website at www.LincolnCA.gov.
- Adopting a low water-use schedule for outdoor irrigation. In many cases, irrigation can be reduced to fewer than 2 days per week and can be eliminated in the winter months.
- Finding and fixing all leaks indoors and out. Leaks waste an average of 10,000 gallons of water per household per year.
- Installing low-flow faucet aerators and shower heads, and, if possible, Water Sense- labelled washers and toilets.
- Taking 5-minute showers.
- Shutting off the water when washing dishes, brushing teeth, and shaving.
If you have any questions, please contact Public Services at 916-434-2450 or email [email protected].
Thank you for your efforts to conserve water -- together we can meet our target!
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