SAN JOSE—The water savings numbers for June are in, and the news that the Santa Clara Valley Water District announced today is good: Santa Clara County residents and businesses used 35 percent less water in June 2015 than they did in June 2013.
The table below shows monthly and cumulative savings for each local water provider.
1 June 2015 data not available as of July 22, 2015
2 2-day/week water restrictions
3 No percent reduction targets for domestic use
The Santa Clara Valley Water District board of directors set the 30 percent target in March, based on local conditions – how much groundwater we had left after the “winter season” and how much imported and local reservoir water we have to replenish it. They also called for a limit on watering landscapes to no more than two days per week.
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Local water providers, both public and private, also adopted the 2-day-a-week watering limit, with a schedule that allows those with odd-numbered street addresses to water on Mondays and Thursdays and those with even-numbered addresses to water Tuesdays and Fridays. This limit, as well as increased media attention and public outreach, is helping us continue on our positive trajectory.
At a news conference today (video below), water district officials, as well as elected officials and staff from cities and water providers around the county, thanked residents and businesses for their hard work in cutting back on their water usage, and urged them to continue, especially during these warm summer months.
“I want to say thank you to everyone who is doing their part. We are all in this together, and your efforts to save water will help our whole community, said water district director Richard P. Santos. “I also want to thank our local water providers, each of our cities and the county, who have worked with us to spread the message of conservation and achieve this impressive number.”
Although there is talk of a strong El Niño this winter, there is no guarantee that it will bring rain or snow to Northern California. Even if it does, we still will be short of the amount of water we need to make up for what we have already used, and to replenish our precious groundwater basins. Putting water back into our aquifers helps not just with water supply, but guards against subsidence, or the sinking of land, which can cause costly damage to infrastructure, leave communities more susceptible to flooding and allow salt water to enter into our drinking water supply.