Water District Staff Recommends 15 Percent Mandatory Conservation
The statewide drought coupled with a two-thirds cut in imported water from the Sierra Snowpack means the Santa Clara Valley Water District must rely more heavily on its reserves to meet demand. Following a thorough analysis of current water supply conditions, water district staff has concluded a 15 percent reduction in water use is needed across the county.
Santa Clara County (Vocus/PRWEB ) March 21, 2009 -- The statewide drought coupled with a two-thirds cut in imported water from the Sierra Snowpack means the Santa Clara Valley Water District must rely more heavily on its reserves to meet demand. Following a thorough analysis of current water supply conditions, water district staff has concluded a 15 percent reduction in water use is needed across the county. The staff report will be presented to the board of directors at the regularly scheduled board meeting Tuesday, Mar. 24.
"This recommendation is based on a comprehensive assessment of the water district's current groundwater reserves, ten local reservoirs, imported water sources, and conservation efforts thus far," said water district CEO Sharon Judkins. "As the steward of this natural resource, it is the water district's responsibility to ensure we can meet the demand of 1.8 million people. The last drought in Silicon Valley lasted five years and we need to be prepared in case that happens again."
The water district's local reservoirs are at roughly 65% of capacity and many of the state reservoirs are at below 50% of capacity. Despite significant rainfall in February and early March, restrictions on pumping water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to protect fisheries has reduced the quantity and reliability of the district's imported water supplies. About half of the county's drinking water is conveyed through the Delta. Because this is the third dry year, the water district has already drawn down some of its reserves. Conservation is becoming more important since there is a limited supply of water to meet the demands of a growing population.
The water district offers numerous programs and rebates to help residents and businesses save water and money. To learn more or to sign up for a free water wise house call, visit www.valleywater.org or call 408-265-2600.
The board of directors meeting is scheduled for 9:30am Tuesday, March 24 at the district headquarters building at 5700 Almaden Expressway in San Jose.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District manages water resources and provides stewardship for the county's five watersheds, including 10 reservoirs, hundreds of miles of streams and groundwater basins. The water district also provides flood protection throughout Santa Clara County.
###
Post Comment:
Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/U3VtbS1JbnNlLUluc2UtSW5zZS1Db3VwLUNvdXAtWmVybw==
Bookmark -
Del.icio.us |
Furl It |
Technorati |
Ask |
MyWeb |
Propeller |
Live Bookmarks |
Newsvine |
TailRank |
Reddit |
Slashdot |
Digg |
Stumbleupon |
Google Bookmarks |
Sphere |
Blink It |
Spurl
|
