Urgent Media Advisory
San Diego County Water Authority
News Release: July 15, 2006 |
Contact:
John Liarakos
Office (858) 522-6703
Mobile (858) 761-2544 |
or
Bill Jacoby
Office (858) 522-6701
Mobile (619) 200-3731 |
Bill Jacoby, Water Authority Director of Public Affairs, is available for interviews.
Call (858) 522-6701
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Water Authority issues urgent call for decreased water usage through next week
Increased water conservation throughout the county needed to avoid mandatory restrictions
The San Diego County Water Authority has issued an urgent call for home-owners and businesses throughout San Diego County to curtail all unnecessary water use through the end of next week. This includes reducing landscape irrigation through the end of next week. Where landscape irrigation is necessary, the Water Authority advises watering between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. to help reduce demands during the day.
With temperatures soaring both inland and on the coast, treated water demand has stretched local and regional water treatment plants to maximum output. The Metropolitan Water District’s Skinner Treatment Plant in Temecula and treatment plants in San Diego County are running at full capacity. If, for any reason one of these plants malfunctions, reducing the amount of treated water production in the county, the Water Authority will need to institute mandatory reductions in treated water deliveries to all its member agencies.
Should this occur, local water agencies may need to initiate mandatory water restrictions to adjust for the reduced amount of water they will receive. In the past, this has resulted in the reduction or complete shutoff of water to large agricultural users in some areas of the county. Mandatory restrictions on water use for businesses, home-owners and multi-unit dwellings could also be initiated by local water agencies. Should mandatory restrictions be instituted, people are advised to contact their local water agency or municipal water department to determine what restrictions have been issued for their area.
The Water Authority will continue to work closely with its member agencies and the Metropolitan Water District to ensure that the treatment plants serving the county are operating at maximum efficiency and peak capacity. With the help and cooperation of all San Diegans, we can avoid mandatory water restrictions.
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The San Diego County Water Authority is a public agency serving the San Diego region as a wholesale supplier of water from the Colorado River and Northern California. The Water Authority works through its 23 member agencies to provide a safe, reliable water supply to support the region’s $150 billion economy and the quality of life of 3 million residents.
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