SAN CLEMENTE : Water Squeeze Eases; So May Building Ban

With water conservation measures working and new sources of fresh water expected in August, the City Council will decide today whether to relax a 7-month-old building moratorium.

“I’m impressed by how the residents and homeowners associations have responded” to tough conservation laws passed by the council, said Greg Morehead, city water supervisor. “We feel that a sufficient amount of water is being conserved to allow a certain amount of growth.”

Water use in the city has dropped by about 600,000 gallons per day from last year, Morehead said. By mid-August, a new city well and a pipeline for reclaimed water are expected to begin operation and bring in an additional 900,000 gallons daily.

City staff is recommending that the council release a limited amount of building permits to developers whose projects have been on hold since the moratorium was imposed in January.

The action would allow 250 homes to be built in addition to 35 acres of industrial and commercial development. Also, work could begin on 24 acres of new public parks on three sites in the city.

“I think that it’s appropriate for city government to balance growth where water supplies are limited,” Morehead said. “But when it’s apparent that the supply is available, there is an obligation to relax the standards a little.”

The urgency ordinance was enacted after a near-crisis last summer when water levels at a reservoir serving the city sank from its 48-million-gallon capacity to an all-time low of 17.3 million gallons on Aug. 18.

The council responded by passing a series of tough water conservation measures, including the building moratorium, restrictions on lawn watering and a surcharge for residents who use more than a city-alloted water quota.

Despite a summer-long heat wave, area water officials say businesses and residents have learned to conserve.

They point to the reservoir as a barometer. This week the reservoir held 40.5 million gallons, compared to 25.3 million gallons on the same date last year, said Ray Woodside, general manager of the Tri-Cities Water District.

“That’s quite a difference,” Woodside said. “We’re holding on real good so far.”