2nd Year of Drought Spurs Call for Residents to Cut Water Use

South Bay residents are being asked to voluntarily cut water consumption by 10% because back-to-back dry years in Northern California have dramatically reduced stream flows and lowered water storage in reservoirs.

The drought so far has had little impact in Southern California, but officials of the giant Metropolitan Water District are concerned that more drastic measures, such as mandatory water rationing, may be necessary if the below-normal precipitation continues for a third consecutive year.

The district, which supplies water to 14 million people in six Southern California counties from Ventura to the Mexican border, has asked cities and water companies to adopt conservation programs to cut consumption by 10%.

South Bay cities, which all rely on imported water, are being asked to follow MWD’s lead and urge residents to reduce water use by cutting back on watering lawns, installing flow-restrictors in showers and faucets, fixing leaks, and not hosing down driveways and sidewalks. And in many cities, restaurants no longer serve water to customers unless they request it.

Torrance joined the conservation effort Tuesday when the City Council unanimously adopted a water conservation program that relies heavily on efforts to educate the public.

Information on ways to conserve water will be included in water bills, advertisements in local newspapers and programs broadcast on Torrance’s cable television system.

Water conservation kits also will be available from the city containing flow-restrictors for showers, an inflatable bag to reduce water use in toilets and dye tablets to detect leaks.

The city of Los Angeles is planning to distribute such kits to residents as part of a citywide effort to cut water consumption and reduce demand on its already-strained sewage system.

The Los Angeles City Council last April unanimously ordered installation of water-saving devices to reduce flow of waste water. Property owners were required to fix leaky faucets and toilets and are forbidden to use water to hose down patios, sidewalks and driveways.

The city of Rancho Palos Verdes last week also asked its residents to cut back. It plans a publicity campaign on local cable to get residents to adopt MWD conservation measures.

The goal of a 10% reduction in water use also applies to the West Basin Water Management District, which buys water from MWD and sells it to cities and water companies serving Carson, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula.

California Water Service Co., a private water works company that serves six South Bay cities, periodically puts flyers in water bills urging conservation and supplies water conservation kits upon request. “It is an ongoing effort,” District Manager Jim Cantrell said. The company delivers water to customers in Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rancho Palos Verdes Estates, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach.

Torrance buys its water directly from MWD.

MWD spokesman Tim Skrove said Southern California is not experiencing a water shortage this year because of full deliveries from the State Water Project and the Colorado River Aqueduct.

“What we are concerned about is if there is another dry year in Northern California, there could be a substantial impact on the State Water Project,” Skrove said.

MWD draws 1 million acre-feet of water from the State Water Project, which carries water from Northern California through the California Aqueduct. An acre-foot is enough to supply a family of four for a year.

The district also received an additional 1.2 million acre-feet from the Colorado River Aqueduct. Stream flow along Colorado River is down to 70% of normal, but there is 60 million acre-feet of water stored in Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

In the event of another dry year in Northern California, State Water Project deliveries could be less than half of normal. In that case, Skrove said he would expect to see some form of rationing in Southern California.

For the first time, MWD has notified agricultural users, including nurseries and citrus and avocado growers, that their water deliveries could be curtailed.

John G. Joham, general manager of the west basin district, said contingency plans are being developed to pump more ground water from local wells for drinking water should the drought continue for another year.

MWD water conservation manager Ed Thornhill said Southern Californians are being asked to reduce water consumption now to reduce the risk and severity of shortages next year if the drought persists.

The goal, he said, is to “keep the water in the reservoirs this year and to minimize the risk next year.”

“We are not asking people to do without,” Thornhill said. “We’re not in a rationing mode.”

During the 1977 drought, MWD asked for a 15% reduction in water use and achieved a 17% cut, which saved 400,000 acre-feet of water for Northern California.

Now, MWD is asking every household, farmer, business and governmental agency to reduce water use by 10%.

Although the program in South Bay cities is voluntary, in Los Angeles the City Council approved penalties for owners of commercial properties who fail to install conservation devices and warned homeowners that violators could have flow-restrictors placed on their water service.

The Torrance council directed city departments to reduce the city’s own water usage by cutting back on watering in city parks, tennis courts, parking lots and streets and closing the city’s bus-washing facility one day every two weeks.

In Rancho Palos Verdes, the city has cut back on watering in areas with natural ground cover, such as portions of Hesse Park in Portuguese Point; installed drought-tolerant plants in street medians; installed low-flow sprinkler heads, and has reduced lawn mowing in parks so the turf retains its surface water.

Residents throughout the South Bay will be asked to save water by adjusting sprinklers to reduce overspraying and runoff and by installing landscaping that requires less water.

MWD’s Thornhill said lawns should be watered every three or four days, only during the cooler early morning or evening hours, not warmer daytime hours. He suggested that if homeowners have watered every day, they should cut back gradually to allow their lawns to develop deeper roots.

Household fixtures should be checked for leaks and flow-restrictors installed in showers and faucets. Decorative fountains should be shut off unless they recycle water.

Sidewalks, driveways and walkways should be brushed off, not washed off. And where possible, covers should be installed on pools and spas to reduce evaporation.

Thornhill suggested that consumers can save water by not thinking of their toilet as a wastebasket to flush tissues or other items.

WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES

The following are measures being advanced by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other water suppliers to help cut water use by 10%.

1. Adjust sprinklers and irrigation systems to avoid overspray and runoff.

2. Avoid watering in the hot part of the day, during peak hours or on windy days.

3. Install low-water-using trees and plants and efficient irrigation systems.

4. Shut off decorative fountains unless a water-recycling system is used.

5. Do not hose down driveways or sidewalks unless for health or sanitary reasons.

6. Install pool and spa covers to minimize water loss due to evaporation.

7. Do not leave the hose running when washing cars.

8. Check faucets, toilets and pipes for leaks; repair them immediately.