Countywide : Casitas District to Cut Allocations 20%

The Casitas Municipal Water District will cut water allocations by 20% to its 55,000 users in Ventura and the Ojai Valley this year to ensure the future health of the reservoir, an official said Friday.

“The 20% reduction was designed to guarantee a safe yield from the lake during the longest or most intense dry spell,” said district General Manager John Johnson.

The move to reduce allocations, which came after two years of discussions, was enacted at a district meeting Wednesday night despite objections by Ojai Valley farmers and Ventura city officials.

City officials argued that the allocation cuts were unfair since Ventura had already substantially reduced its water consumption through a self-imposed rationing program.

The reductions will be based upon 1989 levels. Although voluntary cuts in water usage in 1990 were effective, Johnson said some disgruntled customers felt they were carrying too much of the conservation burden.

“There were complaints from some who conserved more than others (that) they’d been put upon or that they felt some were not doing their fair share,” Johnson said.

Directors also voted Wednesday to cancel a construction freeze instituted in April, 1990. “The board has decided it does not want to be involved in land-use planning,” Johnson said.

All decisions on future construction will now be made by local agencies, under the parameters set out by the new allocation, Johnson said.