Today’s blog is a collaboration with ILACSD and our friends that the San Diego County Water Authority. With a serious drought on our hands, it is up to all of us to take immediate action to reduce our use and save our stored water reserves for 2015. Read on to learn more about what we do to fight the drought, and go to WaterSmartSD.org to learn more!
Recently, we asked ILACSD staff members about how they fight the drought. Here are some of our favorite responses:
- Ann, ILACSD Director of Finance, puts a bucket under her bathtub faucet to collect the cold water as she waits for the shower water to heat up. Then she uses that to water her plants.
- Sarah, our Marketing Coordinator, waters her plants with left over, day-old drinking water.
- Natalie, Director of Community Events, has a wireless speaker in her bathroom and uses Pandora to time her showers.
- Monica, ILACSD Environmental Educator, turns off the tap while brushing your teeth. Millions of people doing even the little things makes a difference!
- Morgan, Director of Development & Marketing, and Ann have both recently replaced their lawns with native plants and rocks!
There are also some mandatory water-saving restrictions in effect across the region. Requirements vary by local water agency, but they include:
• Limit outdoor watering days and times.
• Water only during the late evening or early morning hours.
• Eliminate runoff from irrigation systems.
• Repair all leaks within 72 hours.
• Turn off water fountains and other water features unless they recycle water.
• Use hoses with shut-off valves for washing cars (or patronizing commercial car washes that re-circulate water).
• If you do not plan to drink water with your meal at a restaurant, please remind the waitstaff not to bring water to the table.
• If you stay at a hotel, request the option of not laundering towels and linens daily.
• Use recycled or non-potable water for construction when available.
The Water Authority is not anticipating cutbacks to its imported water supplies this year that would trigger mandatory supply cutbacks to its member agencies. Allocations could happen in 2015 if conditions don’t improve, but regional investments in water supply reliability such as independent Colorado River water transfers and the Carlsbad Desalination Project will help offset the impacts of any supply reductions.
For more details about the drought, including links to water-use rules and conservation programs in your community, go to WhenInDrought.org. The webpage also includes a link to the Water Authority’s online conservation portal WaterSmartSD.org, which offers numerous water-saving incentives, free water-use evaluations, classes on WaterSmart landscaping and a home water-use calculator.