Local water districts get a break on conservation requirements

Several local water districts learned this week that California’s water board is loosening its water-use reduction mandates, a move that could help districts that have struggled to meet the state’s goals for conservation.

State water officials in February extended restrictions on urban water use through October but also indicated that some water districts could apply to have their reduction goals reduced based on population growth, warmer-than-average weather in certain areas and “significant investments” in “drought-resilient” water sources. Reductions to conservation standards range from 2 to 8 percentage points, according to data from the State Water Resources Control Board.

The water-use reduction target for the Mesa Water District has been lowered to 13% from 20%, but the state board eventually could knock it down to 12%, according to district spokeswoman Noelle Collins. Since June, when state water mandates were implemented, the district has achieved 21.2% cumulative savings, putting it far ahead of its new goal, state data show.

“I think it’s a tribute to the good planning and the investments that our board and our customers have put forth in the past,” said district General Manager Paul Shoenberger.

The eased requirement, Shoenberger said, is a nod to the district’s efforts to develop drought-resilient water supplies such as the Mesa Water Reliability Facility, which filters water pumped from a deep underground aquifer.

The facility provides about 30% of the district’s drinking water. The remainder comes from Orange County’s groundwater basin, meaning the district does not import any water from Northern California or the Colorado River, Shoenberger said.

Mesa Water serves 108,000 customers in Costa Mesa and portions of Newport Beach.

“Mesa Water’s customers are increasingly aware of the value of water and have stepped up their water efficiency efforts through reduced outdoor watering, upgraded landscapes and fixing leaks,” Mesa Water board President Shawn Dewane said in a statement Thursday.

The city of Newport Beach, which serves 66,219 water customers, has struggled month after month to reduce its water use to meet its original 28% conservation target. However, the state agreed to lower Newport’s mandate to 21%, which could help the city’s water service meet its goal by October.

It achieved 19.9% cumulative savings from June through February, according to city data.

“We’re close, but we’re not meeting the 21%,” said Municipal Operations Director George Murdoch. “People need to continue to conserve. With warmer months ahead, it’s going to get more difficult moving forward.”

The state was expected to reduce conservation targets for several Orange County water districts because many of them receive a large portion of their supply from the Orange County Water District’s groundwater replenishment system, Murdoch said.

The system, which started operating in 2008, is a water-purification project that can produce up to 100 million gallons of water every day, lessening the county’s dependence on imported water from Northern California and the Colorado River, according to the Orange County Water District website.

Shoenberger said Mesa Water plans to stick to its outdoor irrigation schedule for as long as the state’s drought restrictions are in effect.

Mesa Water customers can water outdoors before 8 a.m. and after 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays. Watering is not allowed during rainfall or for 48 hours afterward.

Newport Beach also will maintain its outdoor irrigation schedules. Residents are allowed to water their lawns once per week. Each area of the city is allotted a particular day for watering.

Murdoch said Newport also will continue to fine customers who habitually waste water. In February, the city issued 1,284 notices of violation.