February 27, 2024
A continued water conservation ethic, favorable hydrological conditions, and increased groundwater pumping have all contributed to record-low demand for imported water in the West Basin service area during the first half of Fiscal Year 2023-2024 (FY23-24). Demand, for the period July through December of 2023, was approximately 47,000 acre-feet, or more than 15 billion gallons of water.
For background, one acre-foot is the equivalent of approximately 326,000 gallons of water, which would provide enough water for three typical families for a year.
Compared to the same period last year, demand or sales of imported water are about 5% or 2,500 acre-feet less. What is notable is that last year’s demand for roughly the same period was about 10% less from the prior year.
As for imported water demand in the new year, January 2024 marks the seventh-consecutive month demand has decreased and is at the lowest point since tracking began in 1989.
Total annual imported water demand for FY23-24 is currently projected to be 84,000 acre-feet. If actual year-end demand ends up matching current projections, this would be a record for lowest annual imported water sales for the past 33 years. The new benchmark would be nearly 20,000 acre-feet lower than two years ago, when annual demand was 103,600 acre-feet (or nearly 34 billion gallons of water).
Visit www.westbasin.org to learn more about water supplies and programs to continue water use efficiency as a way of life.
