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DROUGHT: Water agency asks for extra conservation
By BRADLEY J. FIKES - Staff Writer | ∞
Metropolitan Water District asked water agencies in its Southern California service area to take extra steps to save water now that the state is officially in a drought.
The district's "Water Supply Alert" declaration, made Tuesday, was expected. It asks water agencies to adopt and enforce drought restrictions such as imposing higher rates for heavy water users, restricting hours of outdoor watering and increasing the use of recycled water.
Metropolitan imports water from Northern California and the Colorado River and sells it to member agencies, including the San Diego County Water Authority. The authority sells the water to local water agencies, which sell to business and residential customers. Most of the water used in San Diego County comes through Metropolitan.
Metropolitan noted in a press release announcing the declaration that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared last week that California was in a drought. Dry weather and a court-ordered cut in water deliveries from Northern California to protect an endangered fish threaten to deplete Southern California's water reserves faster than anticipated.
Metropolitan also said supplies from the Colorado River have been cut by as much as half since 2003 due to drought along that river system.
The Water Supply Alert is the second of three tiers of water shortages. The first, a "Water Supply Watch," calls for heightened voluntary conservation from the public. The third and most severe, "Water Supply Allocation," means that Metropolitan will reduce water deliveries to its member agencies throughout its service area, which reaches from the Mexican border to Ventura County.
Metropolitan offers water-saving advice on the Web at www.bewaterwise.com.
Contact staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at (760) 739-6641 or bfikes@nctimes.com.
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