Cities adjust after Gov. Brown’s emergency proclamation

It’s been nearly one moth since Gov. Jerry Brown called for reductions in water usage. Cities across the Central Coast have been responding.

Ten years ago in parts of San Benito County, the average person used 212 gallons of water every day. These days, it’s at 145 gallons a day, with a goal of lowering it to 120 gallons a day by 2020. At times like this, the more saving, the better.

“San Juan’s doing very good,” said Shawn Novack of the Water Resource Association of San Benito County. “They’ve already reduced their water usage by 22 percent.”

The WRASBC is asking the four municipalities it represents to make a water usage cut of 25 percent. For the most part, that’s the standard these days. Starting May 1, mandatory 25 percent restrictions start in Santa Cruz. The Soquel Creek Water District is continuing its 25 percent cut also.

However, the board of directors was looking at stronger restrictions that could’ve included a moratorium on new buildings. While not all stages are created equally, it’s something the WRASBC could look at in the future.

“We’re at level two of our drought contingency plan,” Novack said. “If it goes to level three, it will look at building permits. And decide at that time whether to suspend them.”

In the meantime, a planned subdivision in San Juan Bautista is still a go, as is new home construction in Marina. According to David Stoldt, the general manager of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District says projects like that aren’t being affected by the governor’s proclamation.

“Any project in process should be able to continue to be built under the assumption that it’s not going to be fully inhabited and using water under that 270 day period,” Stoldt explained. “But it is certainly something communities will have to pay attention to. The state has no intention to staunch the economy through this, so the focus will be getting rid on non-essential water use.”

Neighbors within the MPWMD are exceeding their water restrictions.

“We’re in the lowest category because of our outstanding usage of less than 55 gallons per person, per day, which brings us to an eight percent mandatory reduction” Stoldt said. “There are other communities with a goal of 35 or 36 percent.”

One of those is Morgan Hill. They’re asking people to not wash their cars and instead use commercial facilities that use recycled water. They’re also cracking down on filling swimming pools, saying residents can only fill up to 12″ and asking neighbors to water their lawns just twice a week.

The WRASBC has a very innovative way to get people to conserve water. It involved paying you money to get rid of your landscape.

“We’ve started a turf removal program,” Novack said. “We’re paying them to remove turf from their yard. We’re paying a dollar a square foot, up to 500 square feet at the moment.”

The biggest obstacle for people in San Benito County is the irrigation and how often it is used, so that is something each individual will have to take into account.