Laguna’s water districts make big strides in cutting usage
General managers of the two water districts that serve Laguna Beach said they were pleased with customers’ reduced water use in May.
The 34,992 South Coast Water District customers cut outdoor water consumption by 29%, while the 19,121 Laguna Beach County Water District ratepayers trimmed use by 20% from May 2013, according to figures released last week by the State Water Resources Control Board.
As a whole, Californians reduced outdoor water use by 29% in May after a 13% decrease in April, when Gov. Jerry Brown called for the state’s first required water cutbacks in response to a persistent drought.
The state water board in May voted for a 25% mandatory cutback in potable water use by next March, assigning conservation targets to each water agency based on average daily water use in summer 2014.
Because some water agencies, including the two serving Laguna, started cutting back in 2014, after Brown’s voluntary call to conserve water, the state board is using 2013 numbers to avoid setting an unattainable number.
Laguna Beach County and South Coast districts are each required to trim overall usage by 24%.
“It’s an excellent start,” South Coast General Manager Andy Brunhart said of the district’s 29% reduction. “People are really responding well and earnestly conserving.”
Laguna Beach County General Manager Renae Hinchey said customers in that district appeared to take Brown’s mandate seriously.
“I’m happy with the 20%, because the [monitoring period] started a few weeks before we started sending postcards [about rules and water-saving tips] to our customers,” Hinchey said.
Both districts have received complaints alleging excessive water use on certain properties but did not levy any fines.
Laguna Beach County received 41 complaints in May, and district staff spoke with each alleged violator about water waste, according to the state board’s report.
“Most were neighbors tattle-telling, saying people were letting water run down the street or watering at the wrong time of day,” Hinchey said. “We’re trying to take a conservative approach because most of the customers are so good. If they see water running down the street, they want us to investigate.”
South Coast received 40 complaints in May and issued 27 warnings, the state’s report said. Like Laguna Beach County, most of the complaints centered on water running off driveways and sidewalks or residents watering on the wrong day, Brunhart said.
Brunhart said he carries in his car notices that explain the district’s water conservation rules and will hang them on doorknobs if necessary.
“I get to work on the early side, 5:30 a.m., and the telltale sign [of overwatering] is water running into the street,” he said.
Figures for June, when mandatory measures went into effect, are expected to be available by the last week of July, according to state water board spokesman George Kostyrko.