SAN CLEMENTE : City Requests Cut in Water Use for Week

City officials are asking residents and major water users to cut down on water usage from Jan. 12 through 19 because the city will be without its regular water supply.

The decrease in water is due to a California Department of Transportation project that involves freeway construction on the interchange of the Santa Ana and Costa Mesa freeways in Tustin which will require temporarily disconnecting the main water supply line to San Clemente, said Lois Thompson, the city’s water conservation manager.

“Barring any emergencies, we should be fine,” said Thompson. “But we’ve contacted large water users such as homeowner associations, landscape contractors and property management companies, (asking them) to eliminate all irrigation for at least a week.”

Thompson said it is also important for individual homeowners to cut back on water use during that week.

“It would be great if each homeowner would reduce outdoor irrigation, because that makes up about 50% of a normal household’s water use,” Thompson said. “If everyone does their share, it would make a major difference.”

On a typical day, San Clemente residents use 5 million to 7 million gallons of water during this time of year, Thompson said.

During the week of Jan. 12, 5 million gallons a day will be available from the Irvine Ranch Water District, which is making a temporary connection to Tri-Cities Water District, the city’s regular wholesaler, which normally feeds from the Metropolitan Water District.

An additional 1.5 million gallons of water per day will be coming from two of the city’s wells, Thompson said.

“In the midst of all of this, we’re hoping for some rain so everyone’s lawns will stay green,” Thompson said.

For more information, call the San Clemente water conservation hot line at (714) 498-9436.