District asks water customers to continue efforts, take advantage of rebates
By Wayne Rayfield and Rick Erkeneff, South Coast Water District Directors
All of us at South Coast Water District want to give a resounding “thank you” to our customers who answered the challenge to conserve water. The good news is in the month of June 2015, we achieved a 31 percent reduction in water use compared to June 2013. Although not great beach weather, our coastal marine layer is making a short-term assist that will help our July conservation requirements. However, our community needs to maintain this momentum during the next seven months, especially with the warmer months that lie ahead. The graphic below illustrates what we’ve accomplished compared to the state’s mandated reduction of 24 percent. We will keep you posted on each month’s results and, as always, the SCWD staff stand ready to answer your questions and provide assistance to you.
One of the most effective conservation steps is to replace your thirsty lawn with California-friendly, drought-tolerant plants or synthetic turf. Unfortunately, as of this week, rebate funds for lawn replacement have been exhausted. (Given the huge success of this program, we hope that additional funds will be approved by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California). There are still other rebates available for nozzles, sprinklers, smart timers and appliances like toilets, which help reduce water usage inside and outside the home or business. Like turf removal rebates, these could be exhausted soon. We have enlisted summer interns to help with the demand and short timeline for rebate programs.
Up-to-date information about rebates and water saving opportunities can be found on the SCWD website: www.scwd.org/conservation/residential_rebates_n_tips/rebates.asp (residences) or www.scwd.org/conservation/commercial_rebates_n_tips/rebates.asp (businesses and commercial).
If you prefer, you can contact SCWD’s Customer Service at 949.499.4555. Our friendly staff will be glad to answer your questions and assist you in any way possible.
Please remember our district is under a state mandate to reduce water consumption by 24 percent as compared with 2013 for each month from June 2015 through January 2016. Although the majority of our customers have responded extremely well, our usage data indicate that some customers have done nothing or very little to conserve. If you haven’t started to reduce your water consumption, now is the time to join your neighbors and friends in cutting water use.
You can start by adhering to the landscape irrigation limitation of one day per week—Mondays only for residences and Wednesdays for businesses and HOAs. You can also limit shower times to five minutes or less, wash only full loads of dishes and clothes and fix any plumbing leaks within two days. More water saving tips are available at www.scwd.org/conservation/default.asp. Additionally, we would like to hear from anyone with creative ways to save water. Connect with us at facebook.com/SouthCoastWD or twitter.com/southcoastwater. We welcome emails as well.
Thank you for being part of the solution as we collectively navigate the epic drought conditions.
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