With at least one director of the Santa Clara Valley Water
District board proclaiming the efforts of the water customers in
the district to cut consumption by 10 percent a
”
failure,
”
the board asked staff Tuesday morning to bring back monthly
updates
With at least one director of the Santa Clara Valley Water District board proclaiming the efforts of the water customers in the district to cut consumption by 10 percent a “failure,” the board asked staff Tuesday morning to bring back monthly updates on conservation efforts and to continue to work with water retailers to firm up a plan for mandatory conservation plan, should the state drought continue.
“We need to be aggressive about conservation,” Board Chairwoman and Morgan Hill resident Rosemary Kamei said. “If every person could review their landscaping use, their indoor use, as a start, I think that would be extremely helpful.”
At its July 22 meeting, the board directed staff to bring back a potential program to put in place if the drought continues beyond the second year. The district is in better shape water-wise than most other areas of the state, directors learned during a work-study session July 29, and if winter rainfall reaches a certain level and other conditions are favorable, the mandatory conservation plan may stay on the shelf.
Last summer, the first year of the drought, the district asked customers to voluntarily cut back on water usage, hoping for a 10 percent reduction. To date, there has been a 4 percent reduction. Only now, however, is the district assertively making an effort to get the word out about conservation.
“The community has failed with voluntary conservation,” said Director Tony Estremera. “I don’t think people get it the way we get it, they’re not water masters.”
Estremera said giving customers specific examples of what might occur if conservation efforts are not successful might be an effective way to get results, perhaps even displaying on customer bills how much their water rates could raise if efforts are not successful.
Director Sig Sanchez pointed out that the long drought in the 1980s had made an impact on the community.
“I’m not so sure we failed … it’s clear that from that point forward, conservation has been on the mind of the community,” he said. He added that the rate of consumption has held relatively steady since that time, even though the district has grown in population and businesses. That could not be, he concluded, if people and businesses in the district were not making efforts to conserve.
District staff member Amy Fowler told directors the board is beginning a stepped-up conservation awareness campaign. She also told directors staff would continue to work with water retailers, such as cities including Gilroy and Morgan Hill, to pull together a mandatory conservation contingency plan.
