Date: June 15, 2004

Santa Clara County asked to voluntarily conserve water to stretch statewide supply shortage

SANTA CLARA COUNTY — No one’s ready to utter the “D” word, but California is facing a water shortage that could affect supplies in Santa Clara County.

To help stretch current supplies, the Santa Clara Valley Water District is asking for voluntary conservation throughout the county, and offering free programs to help residents, business owners and growers conserve water.

”We live in a drought-prone area, as those of us who lived through seven years of it in the late 1980s and early ‘90s remember all too well,” Joe Judge, chairman of the water district board of directors, said today after the board released a water conservation media campaign.

“It’s way too early to say when and if another drought may be on the horizon, but we have an opportunity now to change our behaviors and make the most out of what little water is available today.”

A water shortage throughout the state is the result of several factors, including an early snowmelt, less-than-normal precipitation last winter in most of California, a recent levee break and increasing demands on water.

About 22 million Californians, including Santa Clara County’s residents, depend at least in part on water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which is fed by snow that falls in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Much of this year’s snowpack was lost during an unseasonable heat wave in March, leaving less water than typical in the Delta. And some of that water was lost when a Delta levee broke June 3 west of Stockton.

Add to that a second consecutive year of below-normal rainfall in Santa Clara County, and the stage is set for prolonged water shortages should next winter be on the dry side.

The $154,000 campaign is reminding Santa Clara County residents to use water wisely, and referring them to free programs to meet the challenge.

For residents, the water district offers the Water-Wise House Call program. By calling a toll-free number – 1-800-548-1882 – residents are able to schedule an appointment for a trained water surveyor to visit their home or apartment complex. The surveyor reviews water use, both inside and outside the residence, provides low-flow showerheads and aerators, if needed, and provides an irrigation schedule for outside gardens and lawns.

For business owners, the district offers an array of programs, including rebates of up to $450 for high-efficiency commercial clothes washing machines, free evaluations of irrigation systems for large landscaped areas and rebates to any business changing its practices to conserve water and reduce the amount of wastewater it generates.

For growers in the county, the district offers several services, including an on-line irrigation “calculator” that takes into account the crop being raised, local weather conditions and the amount of sunshine on a crop at noon.

Information on all these programs and others is available on the water district Web site, www.valleywater.org, or by calling the district’s water conservation hotline, (408) 265-2607, ext. 2554.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District manages wholesale drinking water resources and provides stewardship for the county’s vast watersheds, including a series of reservoirs, more than 800 miles of streams and groundwater basins. The district also promotes flood protection for Santa Clara County's 1.7 million residents