- Home
- News Grid
- Local News
- Green Hawk
- Business
- Politics
- School Zone
- Nonprofits
- Missing Pets
- Multimedia
- Arts
- Movies
- Outdoors
- Sports
- News Releases
- Columnists
- Blogs
- Opinions
- Classifieds
- Advertise
- Donate
- Partners
Despite Drought, South Coast’s Water Supply Steady
Summer’s nearly here, and for many water agencies across California, that means turning a wary eye to the state’s water supplies. As the arid weather of summer takes hold, so do concerns about drought, water supply and more wildfires. The Sierra snowpack, much of the South Coast’s water source from the State Water Project, melted early and fast, and environmental regulations in the Sacramento delta have restricted allocations.
On June 1, the Metropolitan Water District clamped down on water usage with mandatory rationing and a new water pricing structure for Los Angeles. Residents of the metropolis must limit watering of their yards to Mondays and Thursdays. Shortage-year rates have gone into effect, reducing customers’ allocations by 15 percent and charging additional fees for water used over that limit.
The South Coast is no stranger to water shortages. In the late 1980s and early ‘90s, a severe drought caused residents to live with the same kind of restrictions and more. However, it seems that most of the water agencies on the South Coast are not yet considering the hard-line stance Los Angeles has adopted.
“We are actually pretty different,” said Alison Jordan, water conservation coordinator for the city of Santa Barbara. “We have fairly different water supplies than most of the rest of Southern California.
“Although the South Coast bought into State Water, along with many other communities in Central and Southern California, the region also has water from Lake Cachuma, Gibraltar Dam and underground aquifers.”
While this area typically tends to feel the effects of a drought more quickly than Southern California, said Jordan, this is not the case now. Lake Cachuma is the South Coast’s main source of water, she said, while State Water is the primary source of water for counties further south. Cachuma spilled in January 2008, thanks to a higher-than-average rainfall during that rainy season. The lake, said Jordan, is still at 80 percent of capacity.
“We don’t go into planning to have rationing and drought mode until two or three years out from a spill,’’ she explained.
Nevertheless, water agencies in the area are still pushing aggressively for conservation, each within their own jurisdictions and participating in a regional program.
“The Goleta Water District is certainly very encouraging of conservation efforts,” said Lauren Hanson, a GWD board member. “We’re continuing to put out information in our newsletter and on our Web site about ways that people can conserve.”
Santa Barbara and the Goleta Water District are offering rebates toward the cost of installing efficient irrigation equipment and water-wise plants in their Smart Landscape Rebate program. Up to 50 percent of any combination of irrigation equipment and planting costs may qualify for a one-time rebate of up to $1,000. The program covers approved irrigation equipment, water-wise plants, mulch and smart irrigation controllers.
Ratepayers are encouraged to make appointments and contact their local water district for more information.
While the Carpinteria Valley Water District recently raised its rates, it was not a measure to push for conservation. The agency’s decision was an attempt to address budget issues incurred by water treatment costs, aging facilities and a debt created by purchasing excess State Water without being able to sell it. The excess State Water, while a financial burden, buffers Carpinteria from drought, according to Rhonda Gutierrez, the district’s engineering technician/water conservation specialist.
“We’re just encouraging our users to be more efficient with the water they use,” she said. The Carpinteria district is also participating in the landscape rebate.
Encouraging water conservation through pricing might work easily enough for the more middle-class areas of the South Coast, where people are willing to save water to pinch a penny, but it could present a challenge for more affluent neighborhoods, where residents are willing to pay higher fees to be able to maintain lush lawns — places such as Hope Ranch and Montecito.
The Montecito Water District did not return several calls for comment, although in August the agency adopted tiered rates for the purpose of saving water.
Mike Alvarado, general manager of La Cumbre Mutual Water District, which supplies Hope Ranch, said his agency recently took on the tiered rate structure, which charges users depending on their usage, because falling State Water allocations demanded conservation.
But it’s still too early to tell whether the method will work, he said.
“We just started in May and we won’t bill again till the end of this month,” he said.
Click here for information on how to cut water usage.
— Noozhawk staff writer Sonia Fernandez can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Comments
Noozhawk's comments are moderated, but by posting here you accept your responsibility to follow our rules as part of Noozhawk's shared online community. Please keep your comments civil and helpful. Don't attack other readers personally, and do not use vulgar, abusive or discriminatory language. Use the "Report Abuse" link if a comment violates these standards or our Terms of Use.
» on 06.15.09 @ 03:11 AM
No restrictions?? I think that is very foolish. I really think we should have started restrictions when we realized we were not going to get our much needed rains this year. Looks like a dry dangerous summer ahead. There is a drought now so let’s implement water conservation programs etc. now.
Just saying..
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 06.15.09 @ 03:39 AM
Carpinteria Valley Water District last year implemented a conservation oriented tiered rate structure for all customer classes except agriculture. It is unique in that every customer’s tiers can be a little different based on their historical average usage. So a very small family with little need for landscape water might have a small base tier of 6 units of water, but their neighbor with a large family and greater landscape water needs could have a base tier of 10 units of water. The same structure applies to businesses with varying water needs.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 06.15.09 @ 06:39 AM
One thing is known for sure:
when there is a serious drought and we need the state water is when we won’t be able to get ANY state water.
Therefore state water should not be counted towards our reliable water supply that we will have available during a drought to supply the demand.
Also recycled water should also not be counted as water supply available during a drought because it is nit drinkable and it is not piped to peoples houses to provide for landscaping.
Also desal should not be counted because the system is down.
Also a 10% safety factor is necessary and this would be provided by the 10% reduction in use during a drought by conservation.
Therefore, after removing desal, recycled and state water from the supply during a drought, the current demand during a drought equals the supply during a drought and the conclusion is that we currently have no water available for any population growth.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 06.15.09 @ 08:32 AM
At the very least I think SB should mandate waterless urinals in all new bathrooms, and replacement in older bathrooms by 2015. That is up to 20,000 gal. per toilet per year conservation. They are easier to clean than a traditional urinal too.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 06.15.09 @ 04:07 PM
Montecito Water District has been trying to deal with usage exceeding supply for some time and has adopted some emergency ordinances. The District’s web site has copies of actions taken and explanations which indicate there is not a long term solution. That information is important and should be included in an discussion of area water supplies and shortages because the customers are located both within the County and the City of Santa Barbara. The recent fire damages to water systems and the increased use of water added to the shortage.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 06.16.09 @ 07:48 PM
Does no more water mean no more growth?
Or will the city allow more and more growth until there is not enough water to go around.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
More Local News »
Pacific Storm Expected to Bring Rain, Wind Back to Santa Barbara County on Tuesday
Weather officials say South Coast could receive up to 1½ inches of rain with wind gusting to 30 mph
Santa Barbara-Goleta-Montecito Open House Listings: Feb. 5, 2012
Coldwell Banker, Prudential and Sotheby's post Sunday open house listings
Open House Listings: Feb. 4 & Feb. 5, 2012
Weekend open house listings for Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito, Carpinteria and Santa Barbara County
Big-Rig Driver Killed in Highway 101 Crash Was Under the Influence of Meth, Officials Say
The tractor-trailer struck a sedan, trapping a woman and her young daughters inside the vehicle as it dangled over a bridge railing
Santa Barbara Police Issue 60 Citations in Crosswalk Sting
Citizen complaints a driving force behind the department's enforcement operation, targeting three intersections
Weather: A Few Clouds 59.0º
Search Noozhawk »
