MOORPARK : Water Conservation Measures Urged

Moorpark officials have been asked to adopt water conservation measures even though the city is getting a new supply of water from underground sources, a water agency official said Monday.

The city will begin getting water from a new well west of Grimes Canyon Road within a week, bringing the number of city wells to three, said Reddy Pakala, manager of the Ventura County Water Works District 1. The district includes Moorpark and farm land north of the city.

Unlike Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, two other cities in the eastern part of the county that rely almost entirely on water from the Calleguas Municipal Water District, Moorpark’s situation is unusual.

About 7,010 residential customers and 88 agricultural customers in the district get a fourth of the water they consume from underground sources, Pakala said. Three-quarters of Moorpark’s water comes from the Calleguas, from northern California.

Moorpark residents will still be asked to make a 10% cutback in consumption and to adopt water conservation measures, Pakala said. Residents use 55% of the 40 million gallons used in the district each year.

“At this time we don’t have any major problems,” Pakala said. “However, we do urge our customers to conserve water because we want to be prepared if the drought continues.”

The Moorpark City Council is to consider a voluntary conservation plan at its regular City Council meeting May 2, Mayor Paul Lawrason said.