Water Rationing In All But Name
Half. That's how much outdoor water usage the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District says must be cut over the next nine months to mitigate a severe drought that shows no sign of ending anytime soon.
Half. That's 50 percent in order to reach a state-mandated reduction of 25 percent across-the-board. And even 25 percent is looking like a distant aspiration.
The State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday reported that Californians consumed 13.5 percent less water in April, compared to the same month in 2013. No celebrations, please. Considering overall water consumption is down just 9 percent statewide since last summer, it's bad news.
Locally, we're certainly nowhere near that goal either. In fact, the goals vary by district and municipality, with some cities required to slash water consumption by nearly 40 percent. The target for the SBVMWD is 33 percent.
Yet the East Valley Water District, which serves parts of Redlands, Highland and San Bernardino, managed only a 14 percent cut in April compared with two years ago. San Bernardino city residents cut their usage by 10 percent over the same time frame, while neighboring Colton reduced consumption by a paltry 3 percent. My city, Rialto, did a bit better with a 17 percent cut.
Aren't you getting tired of hearing the same baleful tune week after week? I am. Unfortunately, so are state and local officials. The powers-that-be aren't asking or begging or saying please anymore. They're playing a different song. And you don't have to listen carefully to hear the language of compulsion.
And so SBVMWD General Manager Douglas Headrick on Monday joined a chorus of state and local water bureaucrats who say California's dream of a verdant, picturesque life is over.
Get ready to lose your lawn. “Big lawns are simply not viable here given the frequency with which we experience droughts in this state,” Headrick told reporters at the news conference.
Because everyone appreciates visual aids, Headrick and other local water officials stood in front of an imposing stack of 15 55-gallon barrels representing the amount of water the average Inland consumer uses every day. Four barrels labeled in yellow typified indoor use, and another six barrels with green labels signified outdoor use. Five remaining barrels were red, designating how much water they expect us to save.
For the mathematically confused, losing five barrels out of 11 would equal a 45 percent reduction. But everyone appreciates round numbers, too.
You might recall that Gov. Jerry Brown in April took the unprecedented step of signing an executive order requiring what until just recently had been voluntary.
Under the rules that took effect on Monday, if you water your lawn more than twice a week or during the day, hose down your driveway, or wash your car without a shutoff nozzle on your hose, you're looking at fines starting at $25 and potentially reaching $500 a day.
As a matter of fact, the rules actually say you may not use a garden hose without a shut-off nozzle at anytime or for any reason. How do you suppose that one will be policed?
Cities aren't exempt from the regulations, either. They're required to cut out most landscape irrigation and other water usage, or face fines upwards of $10,000 a day.
Political concerns, competing interests and no shortage of self-interest guide all policy solutions. Who wins? Who loses? What's in it for me?
When I spoke with some local water agency reps after the governor's order came out in April, most weren't sure how they would enforce the new mandates. Now we're getting an idea.
SBVMWD is setting up a $2.5 million fund to encourage homeowners to rip out their turf and replace it with water-friendly vegetation. But the water cops will be on the prowl as well. Heaven help you if your grass is too green.
I've mentioned before how many Inland residents – including many of my neighbors – still haven't gotten a clue about the severity of this drought.
When voluntary compliance fails, the state will resort to what it does best: using force. Rationing is coming. It's practically here already.
The choice is cutting water consumption in half by responsible action now, or lose half by compulsion later. Trouble is, “later” is a lot sooner than you think.
This piece originally appeared in Riverside Press Enterprise
This piece originally appeared in Riverside Press Enterprise