Water Conservation Levels are Lagging! Water Use is Actually Increasing... Please Conserve Now!

The big news this month is not that the drought is worsening, or that groundwater levels in the Main San Gabriel Basin are below desired levels, or that imported water deliveries via the State Water Project have been reduced to just 5% of planned allocations.

What is surprising is that water use is increasing and conservation efforts are failing to reach desired levels. In California, urban water use rose 19% in March, with the worst increases in southern California. Statewide cumulative water savings since July 2021 have amounted to just 3.7%. We are NOT achieving voluntary conservation levels of 15%, as requested by the State earlier this year. That may lead to water supply shortages and more stringent water use restrictions and penalties, such as the mandatory 25% reduction in water use ordered during the 2012-2016 drought.

Local water suppliers, such as the District’s member cities of Alhambra, Azusa, Monterey Park and Sierra Madre, must now activate “Level 2” of their local drought contingency plans to prepare for a water shortage of up to 20%. Some nearby water agencies, such as the Metropolitan Water District, have imposed water use restrictions aimed at reducing water use by about 35%.

Water conservation works and is the cheapest means of saving water. Every drop of water we save is one that does not need to be pumped, stored, treated, imported, transported, recycled, desalinated…or paid for! Don’t forget to follow Alhambra’s guidelines for water conservation (https:// www.cityofalhambra.org/575/Water-Conservation) and beware penalties and enforcement measures are increasing!

Please visit the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District’s website, www. sgvmwd.com, to learn about the District’s rebate programs, OWL Community Grant Program, water saving tips, educational videos and materials, direct-install irrigation systems, and community outreach and speakers’ bureau programs. Our new gardening tips are customized to meet the needs of Alhambra property owners.