Yesterday the Metropolitan Water District announced plans to “restrict” water deliveries 15 percent starting July 1. The restriction will be in the form of reducing water allocations and imposing a surcharge on amounts going over allocation.
The exact charge will depend on water agency and consider past use, previous conservation and local supply sources.
This rationing action is expected to prompt mandatory conservation in Southern California this summer in response to the hundred years’ record-breaking drought.
The surcharges will be between $1,480 to $2,960 per acre foot of additional water — up to about four times the normal Metropolitan rate.
This equates to up to 1 cent per gallon penalty for overuse. It’s up to the water agencies and retailers to decide how to pass that extra cost to water customers.
MWD’s 15 percent restriction falls short of Gov. Brown’s imposed 25 percent mandatory restriction on urban water use.
Since 1990, water use in Southern California has decreased 25 percent. Historically, water use never has dropped to less than 5 percent of the previous year.
Attempting the same conservation savings over one year that has occurred over 25 years may seem like a very ambitious task.
Such concerns and details aside, the MWD has endorsed the governor’s call for a 25 percent reduction in urban water use and pledges to work with the state Water Resources Control Board to implement that policy.
Metropolitan General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger said limiting supplies is among the tools the district will use to support the governor’s water-saving order. Other actions include the $100 million budgeted by Metropolitan since the governor-declared drought began for rebates and other water-saving incentives.
This is to help Southern Californians conserve water inside and outside their homes, and expand outreach activities to achieve greater consumer awareness and knowledge about ways to save water .
MWD will promote local water supply development and work with the state on new rebate, outreach and funding initiatives to support drought-response activities, he said.
“Working together, water providers, consumers and businesses can weather
this drought by making water conservation part of our daily lives,” Mr. Kightlinger said.
He added that Metropolitan will continue evaluating conditions and conservation actions in coming months, and consider additional steps if necessary to ensure available water supplies for the region.
Storage in the Colorado River is less than 50 percent of capacity.
Water from Northern California’s State Water Project (SWP) is currently at 20 percent of its contracted amount but this can change every month- in
In January it was 15 percent. The State Water Project typically provides about one- third of Southern California’s water.
Full press release here.
