Good News on Drought! Good News on Water Supplies!

By Mark Paulson, Board of Directors, Division I – Alhambra San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District

For several years, I’ve been sharing water supply information that, for the most part, was bad news. Bad news about drought. Bad news about declining water supplies. We’ve finally got good news –and a caution - to share!

After several months of historic storm activity (rain and snow), our water supplies – groundwater (which provides about 80% of the water we use), reservoirs and snowpack – are more than encouraging, they are fantastic. Imported water deliveries from northern California, which are what our San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District provides to help our member cities, were increased in March from 5% of plan at the start of the year to 75% of plan (which amounts to 21,600 acre-feet of water). And, as the snow in the mountains melts and flows into streams, rivers and groundwater, our water supplies will improve even more.

So, now for the CAUTION.

While the most recent drought has been significantly diminished, we must remember we live in a region where most years are dry, where drought will return and where climate change makes the work of water planning and delivery challenging. As the graph below shows, the reality remains that if we’re not in a drought, we are probably either getting into one or recovering from one.

We need to sustain our focus on developing a long-term water conservation ethic that enables us to save water now, when it’s wet, for when it’s dry. While the State has lifted many water use restrictions, it’s important to note that in the past 1-2 years Californians fell short of meeting the voluntary 15% conservation goal and were only saving water at a 6% rate, far short of the 25% conservation level achieved in the state’s most recent drought.

As we “stay the course” and invest and build out a variety of long-term water supply infrastructure projects that can make our newly restored water supplies sustainable, I’d ask that we also sustain our commitment to conservation. Every gallon of water we save is a gallon we don’t need to import, pump, treat, recycle, desalinate, or pay for!

Visit the District’s website for information on rebates, conservation tips, grants for schools and non-profit organizations, and water-wise landscaping tips customized to the city of Alhambra (https://sgvmwd.com/wp-content/ uploads/2022/05/CalScape_Alhambra_web.pdf). Please consider scheduling an educational presentation by contacting Evelyn Reyes, External Affairs Manager (626-969-7911; info@sgvmwd.com).