Rains Fail to Bring Relief to Parched Central Coast

Thanksgiving Day storms that eased Northern California’s drought brought no relief to the state’s parched Central Coast region, water officials of three stricken counties said Thursday.

Many communities in Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties are still under strict water rationing. They face even harsher curbs on water use without strong storms this winter.

All three counties lie outside the state’s two big water distribution systems, the federal Central Valley Project and the State Water Project, and must rely on local water resources.

San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties could get some relief by using their rights to import water from the State Water Project. However, many voters in the two counties are committed to no-growth policies. There is fear, especially in the Santa Barbara area, that new water supplies might lead to more homes and industries.

“Brown is the ‘in’ color for lawns in the city of San Luis Obispo,” said Clinton Milne, the county’s deputy engineer.

The city of 40,000 population is under rationing that has cut water use by about 35% since 1987, the last year of normal consumption. Water economy is enforced by a steep price increase for use of any water above the 1987 level.

San Luis Obispo Utilities Director Bill Hetland said a building moratorium was imposed in the city last year, and only permits issued before then are honored.

In Santa Barbara County, the 74,000 residents of the unincorporated community of Goleta have cut water use by 27% from 1987 under a rationing system imposed last year, said Larry Farell, Goleta’s conservation coordinator.

But the situation is so serious that Goleta soon may order installation of devices to restrict water flow to homes and businesses with records of overuse of water.

The city of Santa Barbara does not have water rationing or building restrictions. They could be imposed at a City Council meeting Jan. 9, unless rains bring relief, said Arthur Navarro, the city’s water resources manager.

The Monterey Peninsula also restricts water use measured against a 1987 baseline.

“Consumption is down about 32% in the last year,” said Jerry Koenig, water rationing officer for the Monterey Peninsula Water Management Agency.