Message From The President
Don’t be fooled by small rain showers, we are in a “perfect drought.”
Weather has given us a dry year, followed by a record-dry spring, and our reservoirs are depleted, with water levels at record lows. The Colorado River is feeling the effects of seven years of drought on that river system. On top of that, our water supplies from Northern California have been reduced by 30% to protect the Delta Smelt in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. At this time, we cannot afford the impact that a lack of water could have on our local economy.
The Governor has declared a state-wide drought and urged everyone to cut back. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) is preparing to allocate or cut back water supplies to cities this coming spring. MWD has already cut agricultural water use in Southern California.
Like the Governor, we are asking everyone in West Basin’s service area to reduce your water use by 20%.
Visit the Conservation section of this web site for rebates and other water (and money) saving programs and take our virtual Home Conservation Tour find out how to save water in your home.
West Basin has initiated a Water Reliability 2020 program to reduce our dependence on imported water from 66% to 33% by the year 2020. Water Reliability 2020 is West Basin’s proactive program to address future permanent water supply challenges confronting our Southern California water supplies, such as expanded environmental restrictions, continued state-wide population growth, climate change, challenges to the Bay Delta ecosystem, and other related issues.
Water Reliability 2020 will allow us to gain local control of our water supplies by more than doubling the size of our recycling program, doubling the amount of water we conserve through our conservation program and devices, increasing our youth and adult education programs, and adding 20 million gallons a day of ocean-water desalination as a new supplemental, reliable part of our diverse water supply portfolio.
You can help make your future water supply more reliable for your children and your grandchildren. You can help by conserving water in your homes and businesses—5 minute showers, washing full loads of laundry or dishes, watering outdoors only 12 minutes a day, 3 days a week—and by encouraging your school or park to hook up to recycled water, or encouraging conservation in your neighborhood and among your friends and community groups.
This is a serious situation! The cost of water for water wasters will go up quickly and significantly in the coming year and beyond!
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is doing a remarkable job providing water in this “perfect” drought situation, but we all need to do our part to reduce our dependence on imported water. West Basin will be developing our new, locally-controlled water supplies through the Water Reliability 2020 program, and we need you to do your part—take action and conserve water today!
Sincerely,
Donald L. Dear
President
West Basin Board of Directors