WaterWater agencies in Sacramento, Calif. area want state water restrictions rewritten to reflect climate
Last month, Governor Jerry Brown ordered California’s water agencies to reduce potable urban water use by 25 percent on average over 2013 levels by 28 February 2016. Leaders of Sacramento-area water agencies are now calling for a rewrite of the proposed framework to reflect climate. They argue that the framework is unfair because inland communities require far more water to achieve the same water functions as coastal communities. They also say the region is being punished for its dry heat, while coastal communities are rewarded for their moderate climate.
Last month, Governor Jerry Brown ordered California’s water agencies to reduce potable urban water use by 25 percent on average over 2013 levels by 28 February 2016. The State Water Resources Control Board draft framework for carrying out Brown’s order divides the state’s 411 urban water agencies into nine tiers, based on their per capita water use between July and September (summer) 2013. Each tier is issued a mandatory conservation target, ranging from a 4 percent cut for low water users to a 36 percent cut for the biggest water users. Under this framework, ten of the Sacramento region’s twenty-three water districts would need to cut water use by 36 percent, and all but two of the region’s water district would have to cut usage by at least 28 percent over 2013 levels.
Leaders of Sacramento-area water agencies are now calling for a rewrite of the proposed framework to reflect climate. They argue that the framework is unfair because inland communities require far more water to achieve the same water functions as coastal communities. They also say the region is being punished for its dry heat, while coastal communities are rewarded for their moderate climate. The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), which represents water districts throughout the state issued a similar argument last week in a letter to the state water board. The group urged the state to consider factors such as sunshine, heat, and humidity when setting water conservation targets.
The Sacramento Bee reports that ACWA sent the water board a detailed breakdown showing relative water use after adjusting for climate factors. When adjusted for climate, the data showed the wide gap in per capita water use between many coastal and inland water agencies narrowed considerably. “The targeting needs to be more evenly balanced across the state,” said David Bolland, ACWA special projects manager.
The state water board has ruled out the climate adjustment discussion, saying the heavy water use by inland communities is largely due to residents using water to sustain landscaping options that are not native to inland communities. Adjusting for climate would take out the motivation for inland areas to conserve water by planting landscapes more suited to hot, dry conditions. “Our focus is on reducing outdoor water use,” water board scientist Max Gomberg said. “We needed to focus on the areas with the highest outdoor water use.”
State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus further adds that climate “is in essence taken into account,” because inland districts are forced to cut water use by a large amount but generally not required to drop their per capita water use to the levels seen by most coastal communities. The San Juan Water District in Granite Bay reported using 477 gallons of water per person per day last summer. San Francisco used about forty-five gallons of water per person per day during that same time frame. The Bee points out that making a household that consumes nearly 500 gallons of water each day cut use by 20 percent saves more water than making a household that uses less than fifty gallons a day cut use by 20 percent.
