The people of Santa Clara County, Calif., are continuing to heed the call for water conservation. The Santa Clara Valley Water District announced that water conservation numbers for July show residents and businesses have cut water usage by 36% over July 2013 levels. From January to July, the cumulative savings is 25 percent over the same period in 2013.
“We’re glad that people have really taken this to heart and are doing their part to save water,” said water district Board Chair Gary Kremen. “We thank everybody for their hard work and ask them to keep it up so we can really make a difference by the end of the year.”
In March, the water district board called for a 30% reduction in water use over 2013 levels based on local conditions: how much groundwater the area is projected to have by the end of 2015, and how much imported and local water in reservoirs is available. The board also called for a two-day-a-week limit on watering landscapes, a call that local water providers echoed. Countywide, local water providers adopted a watering schedule allowing those with odd-numbered addresses to water on Mondays and Thursdays and those on the even-numbered side of the street to water Tuesdays and Fridays.
Despite indications of a strong El Niño this winter, it is unknown whether Northern California’s precipitation will benefit. Even if there is heavy rain and Sierra Nevada snow, it is unlikely that the state’s largest reservoirs and our local groundwater basins will fully recover from four years of drought.
Source: Santa Clara Valley Water District
