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Tri-Valley residents are being asked to “do a little more” by voluntarily cutting back their water use by 15% from their levels last year amid drought conditions this summer.
There are “multiple sources of water supply storage” including local groundwater supplies allowing Tri-Valley communities to “withstand the occasional dry winter,” but Zone 7 Water Agency General Manager Valerie Pryor said that “after two especially dry years in a row, we cannot rely on storage alone.”
Cal Water, Dublin San Ramon Services District, Zone 7, and the cities of Pleasanton and Livermore are among the local municipalities asking customers to reduce their water usage after Gov. Gavin Newsom included Alameda County in his emergency drought declaration last month.
Six weeks ago, Californians were asked to cut back their water use by 10% from their levels in 2020. Newsom issued another executive order earlier this week for all California residents to further reduce their water use by 15% from their 2020 levels.
In the order, Newsom said, “There is now a need to augment ongoing water conservation and drought resilience investments with additional action to extend available supplies, protect water reserves in case drought conditions extend to a third year and maintain critical flows for fish and wildlife.”
DSRSD General Manager Dan McIntrye said “a little change can make a big difference” when it comes to addressing drought conditions, and residents can do quite a bit on their part by only running dishwashers and washing machines with full loads and immediately repairing water leaks. Toilets especially can be a source of “sneaky leaks,” while toilet flappers only have a useful life of one to two years.
“Because outdoor irrigation is 60-70% of an average homeowner’s water use, the easiest way to reduce overall water use is to irrigate when the outdoor temperature is cooler (9 p.m. to 7 a.m.) and to reduce the length of time and frequency of your irrigation,” McIntyre said.
Tri-Valley water agencies will continue providing water use updates as drought conditions evolve. For more information on water conservation, visit these websites:
Zone 7 Water Agency: www.zone7water.com/waterwise
Cal Water: www.calwater.com/conservation
City of Livermore: www.cityoflivermore.net/savewater
City of Pleasanton: www.pleasantonwaterconservation.com
DSRSD: www.dsrsd.com/outreach/water-conservation
California Department of Water Resources, www.SaveOurWater.com
