Water sales hit historic peak

By: GIG CONAUGHTON - Staff Writer
Calls for conservation appear to be failing to soak in | Monday, December 10, 2007 11:07 PM PST ∞

According to San Diego County Water Authority records, the agency chalked up its second highest July water sales in six years in 2007 -- just a month after asking residents to cut water use by 20 gallons a day.

Officials say it's too soon to tell, but these wholesale water sales figures suggest that many local residents may not be paying much attention to calls asking them to cut back water use because of looming supply shortages.

As San Diego County's regional wholesaler, the Water Authority supplies nearly all of the water that pours out of county residents' taps, flows to businesses, fills tubs, toilets, and washing machines and waters lawns, gardens and landscapes. The agency buys water and sells it to 24 member cities and agencies.

In addition to the July sales, the Water Authority's August water sales were its highest in history for the month since it started keeping records -- more than 26.8 billion gallons. And local water demand through October is 6.6 percent higher than it was in October 2006.

Meanwhile, officials from the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District said its water sales also are high despite a water-conservation campaign. Metropolitan is Southern California's main water wholesaler, selling water to nearly 18 million people represented by 26 cities and water agencies, including the Water Authority, in six counties.

However, Brandon Goshi, a Metropolitan analyst and manager, said water-sales numbers could be affected by many variables, from retail billing practices to buying water to store rather than use, weather changes and population increases. He said because of that, it was not possible to say that increasing sales meant that people were ignoring conservation calls.

Last week, Water Authority board members voted to spend $206,000 on a "more aggressive" public conservation campaign. Spokesman John Liarakos said the money could include hiring an advertising consultant, increasing TV and video marketing and sending staff representatives to community events.

Water agencies across the state -- including Metropolitan -- have started public campaigns asking people to cut water use because drought and environmental worries have the state on the brink of its worst water supply shortages since the 1987-91 drought.

Historically, Southern California has relied on two main sources for its life-sustaining imported water: the Colorado River and the State Water Project, the latter a 600-mile series of dams, reservoirs and pumps that sends Northern California rainfall and snowmelt to the rest of the state.

Supplies from both are threatened. The Colorado River watershed is in its eighth year of drought. And in September, a federal judge issued an environmental ruling that will cut back the State Water Project's powerful pumps in 2008 in order to protect an endangered fish.

Ken Weinberg, resource manager for the Water Authority, said there were signs that San Diego County residents were responding to the calls to cut water use.

Weinberg said the agency's water demand was lower in September and October than in 2006. But he said water officials are not sure how to measure October's figures because hundreds of thousands of residents were forced out of their homes ---- and away from their regular water-use patterns ---- when evacuated during the firestorms.

Weinberg also said that the agency had conducted telephone surveys that indicated that local residents were at least aware of the conservation messages.

"I think they're getting the message," Weinberg said. "It takes time to change patterns of behavior."

-- Contact staff writer Gig Conaughton at (760) 739-6696 or gconaughton@nctimes.com.

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James wrote on Dec 10, 2007 8:38 PM:Wow. What a shock. The already overcrowded Southern California builds like crazy the last 7 years and we are using more water. Who would have figured. Vote out the current politicians they're morons for allowing all this unsustainable growth, and implement a building moritorium and make the developers pay for new water supplies.

Craig wrote on Dec 10, 2007 9:12 PM:Maybe no one is paying attention to calls for conservation because of all the building that keeps getting approved by all the local cities.

Skip wrote on Dec 11, 2007 4:18 AM:It does not matter how much you conserve, when the population is exploding with no control. More people mean more water usage. It is the same with gasoline and electricity. There is a reason why our road system gets more congested every year. I think they call it carrying capacity. Now do you see why I want our borders secured? Our resources are not unlimited, and as we soak up the rest of the worlds population of people who just want a better life, are resources grow more strained every day.

Skip wrote on Dec 11, 2007 4:20 AM:All over North County there are housing units that are acomendation three or more families, or a dozen or more single individuals. These are both apartments and houses. Everyone uses water, electricity, gas, and sewage.

2x46p wrote on Dec 11, 2007 4:22 AM:Just wait for next years water bills—people will be screaming they knew nothing about the looming water cutbacks.

MVet wrote on Dec 11, 2007 4:48 AM:OUR COUNTRY IS GOING TRHOUGH THE LARGEST POPULATION INCREASE IN MODERN HISTORY, BOTH THROUGH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. Ok I said it now. All of you bleeding heart Liberals, you can go put your heads back in the sand now.

Alf wrote on Dec 11, 2007 5:37 AM:What about the months of August, September, October and November? People believe actions, not words. For so long as one hand says "Cut back" and the other hand is giving out new water meters willy-nilly, the words "Cut back" will tend to be ignored. Merry Christmas! Alf.

b.r. wrote on Dec 11, 2007 6:49 AM:any leader who blocks the desalination plant is hurting our ability to provide water locally, especially in times of crisis. Desalination should be a priority, now.

Gary wrote on Dec 11, 2007 9:13 AM:When I grew up and was in high school there were only 200 million people in this country. Now there are over 300 million. If we all conserve 5% water and the government still cannot supply water, then what will happen when we reach 400 million. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the resident population of the United States, projected to 12/11/07 at 17:12 GMT (EST+5) is 303,571,365. http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html

Replace wrote on Dec 11, 2007 9:17 AM:water authority management. They have known this was coming for several years and did nothing. They get paid to get us water. Not cut backs, no conservation but get us water. We are not a third world country. Water is plentiful we just need management that can think outside the box rather then the same old policies of blaming the voters and consumers.

Sue wrote on Dec 11, 2007 1:19 PM:Come check out our area. Sprinklers running during the rain. Water running down the gutters and streets from over watering. CHECK YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS FROM TIME TO TIME

Waterwatcher wrote on Dec 11, 2007 1:32 PM:This isn't big news. Being in the business of buying and selling water, the County Water Authority and its member agencies have never been really interested in doing anything that would actually reduce water use and sales. They have a built in conflict of interest. Just putting a notice on its website that says customers can get a rebate if they buy and install their own low water use toilets hasn't begun to scratch the surface of regional water efficiency potential. But you'll never see CWA and its members simply going to customers homes and putting in low water use showerheads and appliances, or low water use landscaping, without drowning their customers in paperwork. If they want to really reduce regional water demand, they need to stop talking and thinking up excuses and just do it! Hire local service providers to go to customers homes and businesses and install water conservation measures for free. It would cost less than buying new water from Central Valley farmers, and would create local jobs and economic benefits.

Bo Gato wrote on Dec 11, 2007 2:50 PM:Imperial Valley farmers are going bankrupt this year because thier water supplies have been cut by 1/3 so San Diegians can continue to water grass for golf courses, parks, and resedential lawns, not to mention the thousands of gardens full of tropical rain forest plants. The CWA is killing American farms!

GET RID of GOLF COURSES wrote on Dec 11, 2007 4:01 PM:and QUIT ARTIFICIAL landscaping with flowers and shrubs that THRIVE in a NON-DESERT climatic zone.

Won't be fooled twice wrote on Dec 12, 2007 3:35 AM:I learned hard lessons during the previous drought and the energy crisis. The only thing that goes down is my quality of life while my bills increase. I conserved water and lost 3 of my favorite trees. Who will help me cut them down? I will not be a pawn to subsidize new growth. The best lessons are those learned the hard way. When the developers are forced to cut back - I'll cut back. I think many of us are seeing things this way.

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