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Monterey Peninsula Water Storage Levels Higher Than Expected

Water experts on the Monterey peninsula say the water levels on the Central Coast aren’t as bad as they anticipated, but because of the drought emergency and the predicted lack of rainfall, rationing may not be far off.

The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District usually does their annual water assessments May 1, but because of the lack of rain, they did them early this year. They compare the water in storage now to past levels and take into consideration the remaining five months of what they call the water year and the future.

The peninsula has enough water in the aquifers above the required levels so normally the district wouldn’t invoke any rationing, but surrounding counties were declaring drought emergencies, and last Friday the governor declared a state drought emergency, so Monterey peninsula water district is taking extra precautions.

“Knowing what we know today and knowing January is going to be worse than most Januarys have been we are taking a serious look. Part of the analysis we will be doing for our board is if it doesn’t rain now and between May 1, conditions could get bad, so it is incumbent on us to implement some rationing steps now. Clearly people have forgotten what stage 1 rationing requires. For example, I was served water at a restaurant without asking,” said Dave Stoldt, general manager of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District.

The board is going to start with outreach to the community like water waste enforcement, but more serious restrictions could be announced next week at their public meeting.

This doesn’t mean we are out of the woods for per person rationing. The water district said it’s a very real possibility if it doesn’t rain, but even if it does rain it won’t make up for the mere 3 inches we received this year.

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