S.D. Water-Savings Rate Lags This Month

Although San Diego saved less water than expected during the first 16 days of September, water officials blame last week’s mini-heat wave and say mandatory water conservation is not needed.

“It has been very successful,” said Paul Downey, spokesman for Mayor Maureen O’Connor, of San Diego’s voluntary water conservation program.

Others, however, remain unconvinced that a voluntary program will be enough in the long run.

San Diego City Councilman Bob Filner, who supports mandatory conservation and is the only council member to oppose O’Connor’s voluntary program, said water conservation is a long-term dilemma that “we can’t come to grips with using P.R. techniques.”

Filner said water consumers’ habits can only be changed permanently through a comprehensive program that would include, for example, rebates for reducing water consumption, restrictions on lawn watering and requirements that builders install water conserving toilets and similar low-usage fixtures.

However, mayoral spokesman Downey said there was no need for San Diego to adopt a mandatory program because the city’s overall average water savings figure this summer is exceeding the 10% goal set by the San Diego County Water Authority, which supplies most of the area’s water.

City residents used 3% less water than expected from Sept. 1-16, down from month-end figures of 12.7% in August, 9.7% in July and 15.3% in June, for an overall average of 11.1% since the water conservation program began June 1, according to the city’s Water Utilities Department.

“The momentum is still going,” said Marsi Steirer, a city water conservation analyst, of the public’s apparent enthusiasm for conserving water.

Some people, primarily new residents, are not aware of the water shortage, but public education efforts are reaching average residential consumers, who, ultimately, will make or break the conservation program, said Steirer.

She said thousands of San Diegans continue to call the city’s water hot line each month for conservation tips and to complain about “water abusers.”

Complaints have covered everything from leaky irrigation systems to the hosing of driveways to children throwing water balloons. One woman was irked that a male neighbor--presumably his window was open--was showering twice a day.

“We appreciate all calls, but obviously there are some we can’t respond to,” said Steirer.

Water officials cautioned against drawing conclusions about water conservation from daily or weekly usage rates, saying month-end and summer-long figures provide a more accurate assessment.

Downey attributed the drop-off in savings in September to slightly higher than normal temperatures.

He said if heat waves, which have come sporadically this summer, continue or grow in intensity and length, “there could be problems, but still people are to be congratulated for their water conservation efforts thus far.”

“The message is getting out there . . . and we hope people will make permanent lifestyle changes always be a problem in Southern California,” Downey added.

According to the National Weather

Service, the area rainfall has been about normal and temperatures slightly above normal this summer. The long-term forecast calls for more of the same typical hot, dry San Diego weather with a 60% chance that temperatures will be slightly above normal the next few months, said forecaster Richard Stitt.

“You have to remember that we’re dealing with a normally dry climate anyway, and the more people and growth you add, even with average rainfall, you’d be putting a strain on the existing water supply,” Stitt added.

The city’s 11.1% overall savings slightly exceeds the countywide average savings rate of about 10% for all cities and water districts, said Jim Melton, spokesman for the county water authority. San Diego is the only municipality of 23 cities in the county that has not adopted a mandatory program.

Final figures for many cities for August and September were not available, but in July, San Diego used 9.7% less water than expected, putting its savings rate ahead of some cities and water districts but below others. For example, Padre Dam and Rincon del Diablo had water reduction rates that month of 5% and 9.5%, respectively, while some of the bigger savers included Otay Mesa at 21.7% and Ramona at 14.6%.

“It has not made much of a difference” in water usage whether a city has a mandatory or voluntary conservation program, said Melton.

Mandatory measures, which have resulted in few fines this summer across the county, were adopted largely to emphasize the importance of water conservation and to discourage blatant water wasting, he added.

Filner questioned the accuracy of the city’s water-usage figures, saying he was suspicious of the method used to calculate savings. The city compares current water usage not to 1989 figures but to numbers calculated by averaging water usage totals for the past five years and then factoring in increases due to population growth.

City utilities officials, however, said the formula is the most accurate way to calculate water savings because it takes into account temperatures, rainfall and water usage that fluctuates from year to year.

Thirsty September Early September’s heat wave brought a marked downturn in San Diego water conservation, which fell far short of the 10% sought by city officials during that period. Sept. 1-16: 3% Aug.: 12.7% July: 9.7% June: 15.3% *Overall (June1-Sept.16) 11% Source: San Diego Water Ultilities Department