RANCHO SANTA FE — The Santa Fe Irrigation District’s board of directors took action to declare a Level 2 Water Shortage Response Condition within the district’s service area from Rancho Santa Fe to the coast.
The District had been at a Level 1 Water Shortage Response, calling for voluntary conservation measures since Feb. 20, 2014. Under a Level 2 Water Shortage Response Condition, all voluntary conservation measures currently in place become mandatory, and additional mandatory water use restrictions become effective Sept. 5. With the Water Shortage Response now increased to a Level 2, residents and businesses will be limited to the number of days and length of time they are permitted to irrigate.
The action to move to a Level 2 Condition comes after months of continuing dry conditions and deepening drought across the state. Despite conservation efforts, recording breaking hot and dry conditions during the first half of 2014 have made voluntary conservation challenging and have increased concern about preparing for 2015. Curtailment of State Water Project (SWP) deliveries this year and enactment of emergency statewide water conservation regulations by the State Water Resources Control Board represent unprecedented actions by the State in response to the drought and worsening conditions.
The district does not anticipate cutbacks in imported water supplies this year, but water allocations at the wholesale level could be triggered next year if conditions don’t improve according to General Manager Michael Bardin. Bardin noted that “Implementing Level 2 water use restrictions will help the region save more water for 2015”. Total water demands in the district’s service area remain lower than five years ago, thanks to residents’ and businesses’ conservation practices and efficient water use. Because of the current conditions, the district is asking every resident, home, business and organization to reassess their water use and take additional steps to conserve in case California has a fourth consecutive dry year.
Restrictions include:
— Irrigate before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. only
— Limit lawn watering and landscape irrigation using sprinklers to no more than 10 minutes per station Properties with addresses ending with odd numbers are allowed to irrigate on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday; even numbers on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
— Multi-Family, Condominiums, and Businesses are allowed to irrigate on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
— Repair water leaks within seventy-two (72) hours
For a detailed listing of the district’s mandatory water use restrictions, as well as information on water conservation programs, rebates and incentives, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.sfidwater.org”sfidwater.org. To report water waste, call (858) 227-5801, Option 1.
previous post
next post
