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MWD Approves 15 Percent Cut
to Water Supplies for
San Diego County
Record-setting drought means everyone in region must increase conservation
Facing unprecedented drought conditions, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's board of directors on Tuesday approved a 15 percent water supply cutback to the Water Authority and its other customers starting July 1. That decision is one of several important actions in coming weeks that will impact the San Diego region's water supplies and conservation targets over the next year.
Given the severity of the drought, the MWD delegates from the Water Authority supported a steeper cut, and voted yes on a substitute motion to adopt a Level 4 -- 20 percent -- allocation because key assumptions made by MWD on its available water supplies this year were overly optimistic. They also said the Level 4 allocation would be more protective of MWD's stored supplies and would help MWD avoid potentially steeper allocations next year, should drought conditions persist. That substitute motion failed, and the Water Authority delegates voted no on the Level 3, 15 percent allocation.
The Water Authority's Board of Directors will consider establishing fiscal year 2016 water delivery reductions for its 24 member agencies at a special meeting on May 14, along with other regional drought response actions. The Board initially was scheduled to take action on April 23. That decision was rescheduled after the State Water Resources Control Board announced it would adopt water reduction mandates on May 6 to implement Gov. Jerry Brown's April 1 executive order mandating a 25 percent statewide reduction in water use.
The Water Authority has submitted formal comments to the state board about its proposed framework for water-use reductions because the initial draft would undermine investments in water supply reliability projects and harm the state and local economies. (Click here to view the letter.)
Following the state board's May 6 action and the Water Authority's May 14 action, the Water Authority's member agencies will develop plans for meeting each community's water-use reduction targets.
MWD's actions and the governor's mandates were driven by extended hot and dry conditions statewide. Snow water content in the Sierra Nevada snowpack on April 1 was just 5 percent of its historical average -- the lowest since snowpack records began in 1950 -- which means there will be no significant runoff during the summer and fall when California's water demands typically increase.Go to www.whenindrought.org for more information about the drought, including conservation tips and resources.
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Padre Dam Opens Advanced Water Purification Demonstration Facility
Padre Dam Municipal Water District's Advanced Water Purification Demonstration Facility is now open and tours are available. The facility uses advanced water purification technologies to treat and test approximately 100,000 gallons of water each day. Mark Weston, chair of the Water Authority's Board of Directors, participated in the project's grand opening on April 10.
Padre Dam is offering free tours of the Advanced Water Purification Demonstration Facility. Click here to sign up.
The facility is part of a one-year pilot program. If Padre Dam moves forward with full-scale production of water at the facility, it would meet about 20 percent of the district's current drinking water demands.
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| Padre Dam - Advanced Water Purification
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Click here to learn more about Padre Dam's water purification efforts.
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