Gov. Jerry Brown’s water restrictions have water agencies in the South County scrambling to determine how they are going to comply with the first mandatory water restrictions in the state’s history.
The governor at the beginning of the month issued an executive order to combat the years-long drought that calls for a mandatory reduction in water use by cities and water agencies by at least 25 percent by July 1.
Water agencies that don’t comply with the mandate may be subject to heavy fines and increased water costs.
Steve Castaneda, South Bay Irrigation District board member, said any water reduction would be difficult for the agency.
“We’re already the lowest per capita water user in the entire county, and one of the lowest in the state,” he said.
The South Bay Irrigation District, which oversees water usage in west Chula Vista, is under the same umbrella as the Sweetwater Authority.
The Sweetwater Authority provides water for National City, Bonita and the western and central portions of Chula Vista.
Castaneda said the average Sweetwater Authority customer used 57 gallons per person in February 2014. He said any reduction in water would be a huge problem for the South Bay Irrigation District on a couple of different fronts.
“First of all, most of our customers barely use enough water to maintain hygiene standards,” he said.
“The other problem that we have is that we’re selling so little water … as an organization, do we have enough money to operate? The only way we make money is if we sell water. If we have no water to sell, we as an organization have to start thinking where to cut expenses.”
Brown’s mandate does not apply to agricultural needs such as those of farmers.
Ron Morrison, the director of the Sweetwater Authority and the director of the San Diego County Water Authority, said the governor’s executive order is needed but it should also include a water reduction in agricultural.
“Eighty percent of the water used in the state of California is not used in cities by residents and by businesses, it’s used by agriculture,” he said.
Morrison said the Sweetwater Authority’s primary water use goes to landscaping.
Mitch Thompson, a board member with the Otay Water District, said they are at a stage 2 alert, which means there are restrictions to landscape watering for residential use to three days a week.
Thompson is the board member for division two of the Otay Water District. His district covers water usage in the Tierra
Nova and Rancho del Rey areas.
California water regulators recently made a new proposal to help water agencies that can’t afford to make a 25 percent reduction, such as Sweetwater Authority. Under the new proposal, the Sweetwater Authority will have to reduce its water rate 12 percent.
Both Morrison and Castaneda said they are still trying to understand how to make the reduction work.
Castaneda said the first option is to look at possibly increasing water rates.
“That’s one of the main ways that you get conservation,” he said.
Castaneda said he wants to help customers save water through water saving devices.
He wants to set up rebates for no-flow washers and alternative types of landscaping.
Morrison has a simpler idea.
“The question becomes, do you want to take a shower or do you want to water your lawn?” Morrison said about customers needing to decide where to conserve water.
Thompson said the Otay Water District is to meet Wednesday, April 29, to discuss how to comply with Brown’s mandate.
“The board hasn’t made a determination at this time,” he said.
“The question will be should any of the things we are doing be mandatory at this point and/or should we be changing to a different alert level,” he said.
