Drought Worsens in Carpinteria, Stage 3 drought impending – CVN Article August 18, 2022
After another dry winter and very little response in conservation, we are likely entering a Stage 3 Drought this fall. We missed out on much-needed rain this year and Lake Cachuma is down to 40% capacity. Since October of last year, we have only received 9.9 inches of rain, with less than 2 inches of that being from January through the beginning of August. Carpinteria Valley Water District issued a Stage 2 Drought Emergency in October of 2021 and mandated a 20% reduction in water consumption. To date, we have not seen much action to conserve water. Our customers have reduced consumption by less than 3%. We cannot stress enough how important it is to reduce your water use at this time, especially looking forward over the next 5 years.
Balancing water supply and water needs without putting stress on the Carpinteria Groundwater Basin while State Water Project and Cachuma Project water supplies dry up is exceptionally challenging. With a good chance of another dry La Niña winter ahead, we are looking at purchasing 400 acre-feet of supplemental water this year for a whopping $600,000. As of the time of this writing, about 60% of the State is still facing extreme drought; this means we must be prepared for times when these opportunities to purchase additional water are not available. We need to make every effort to be water wise now and make our existing water supplies last into the future.
As we strategize how to manage our water resources, it is likely that we will move into a Stage 3 Drought in October of 2022 with a mandatory 30% reduction in water use and may have to move into a Stage 4 Drought as early as April of 2023, which mandates a 40% reduction in water use. If we do not conserve our water now, we will have a water shortage starting in water year 2025, which runs from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025 (Figure 1). On the other hand, if we abide by Stage 3 drought mandates, we will have adequate water over the next 5 years with the Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project (CAPP) slated to start construction in 2025 (Figure 2).
Figure 1, Water Supply by Year, No Conservation – 5 Year Outlook
Figure 2, Graph of Water Supply, Stage 3 Condition – 5 Year Outlook
Our Water Waste Reporting phone line has received reports of customers who are not aware of some of our current Stage 2 Drought regulations. By adapting to these changes, we can stretch our resources father and prevent strain on our groundwater basin. Here are a few important points to remember:
- If you plan to use water to clean buildings, driveways, or sidewalks you must receive approval from the District. This activity should be limited to health & safety-related cleaning.
- Irrigation on landscaping shall not runoff onto hardscape/non-landscaped areas.
- Irrigation by hose or movable sprinkler may not occur between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for yards, parks, recreation areas, or other landscaped areas.
- Irrigation through fixed systems (sprinkler systems) is prohibited between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- Customers shall not irrigate turf or ornamental landscapes during or within twenty-four hours of measurable rainfall.
- Residential, commercial, public authority, and industrial customers shall not irrigate landscape more than 3 days a week.
- Free-flowing hoses for all uses are prohibited, including while washing boats and vehicles; we ask that you use self-closing shut off valves as an easy way to prevent water waste.
- Hotels, motels, and restaurants are required to display notices of drought conditions and provide suggested actions for saving water at their facilities. If your business is in need of drought notice signage, please e-mail conservation@cvwd.net.
The full list of drought regulations can be found on our website at https://cvwd.net/your-water/supply-facilities/drought-information/.
There are many ways that you can make conservation a way of life and save water without much effort at all. Simple acts such as turning off the water while brushing your teeth or filling buckets of water when waiting for it to warm up are easy ways to reduce your use. In addition, all District customers now have access to a free EyeOnWater account which allows for you to check your detailed water consumption and monitor for leaks. Customers can sign up and create an account at https://eyeonwater.com/signup. You can configure leak alerts to be delivered to you by text or e-mail after you establish an account.
We continue to offer rebates to residential and commercial customers for water conservation fixtures and appliances as well as rebates on WaterWise Landscape upgrades. Fall is a great time to transform your landscape and swap out your turf for natives and low water-use plants. The cooler weather in upcoming months puts less stress on new plants and allows for the root systems to become established. Looking for a fall project? If you are interested in transforming your yard and removing turf, please e-mail conservation@cvwd.net. For District updates, please visit our website cvwd.net, follow us on Twitter @CarpWater, or Carpinteria Valley Water District on Facebook and Nextdoor.