October water savings fall across California, North Coast

Warm weather in October caused California’s water savings rate to dip below Gov. Jerry Brown’s 25 percent statewide standard for the first time since the state’s emergency drought regulations took effect at the start of summer, but water regulators said they were still satisfied with the public’s response to the drought.

The statewide water conservation rate in October was 22.2 percent, down from 26.2 percent in September, compared with the same months in 2013, the baseline year for determining water savings.

Santa Rosa, which provides water to 170,974 people, posted a 21.2 percent conservation rate in October, below the statewide rate, the water board said. The city’s cumulative water savings, from June through October, were 25.6 percent, well above the city’s state-mandated target of 16 percent.

The figures show that Californians are continuing to save, albeit at a lower rate during a month that brought above-normal temperatures to most of the state, said officials with the State Water Resources Control Board, which released the October figures at its meeting Tuesday.

“I was relieved,” said Felicia Marcus, the board’s chairwoman.

Outdoor residential water use, which increases as temperatures rise, accounts for 34 percent of urban water use in the state, vastly exceeding commercial, institutional and industrial water consumption.

Officials noted that the cumulative water savings since June, drought emergency measures took effect, amounted to 27.1 percent through October. Total water savings amounted to 913,851 acre-feet, enough to supply 4.6 million people with water for a year, officials said.

An acre-foot is about enough water to fill a football field a foot deep, or supply 893 gallons of water a day for a year. The average person uses one-fifth of an acre-foot a year.

The state is “still on track for meeting or exceeding the governor’s goal,” Katy Landau, a staff scientist, told the water board.

But heading into winter, when outdoor water use diminishes, it will become harder to keep up. “We just don’t have that much easy water to save,” she said.

Looking back, the October weather that officials said diminished water savings statewide also heated up the North Coast.

Santa Rosa’s high temperature averaged 83 degrees in October this year, compared with nearly 78 degrees in October 2013, according to Press Democrat records.

Still, Jennifer Burke, Santa Rosa’s deputy director of environmental services, said she was delighted with the city’s October conservation rate. “Our customers are doing even more than we’ve asked of them,” she said.

Going forward, Santa Rosans should turn off their automated irrigation systems through March, when lawn sprinkling is “not much needed,” Burke said.

Residents also should check shower heads, faucets and other indoor water-using devices for efficiency, she said, noting that the city offers rebates, free fixtures and other services listed online at ci.santa-rosa.ca.us. Users should enter “drought” in the search box.

Sonoma had the best local October conservation rate at 24.6 percent, followed by Healdsburg at 22.7 percent.

Also falling below the statewide rate were Rohnert Park at 20.6 percent, Petaluma 18.4 percent, Valley of the Moon Water District 17.6 percent, Windsor 16.8 percent and Sweetwater Springs Water District at 11 percent.

All eight local water suppliers had five-month cumulative water conservation rates above their mandated target.

Sebastopol, Cloverdale and Cotati are not included in the water board’s reports.

Dan Takasugi, Sonoma’s public works director, noted the city, which serves 11,579 residents, has the highest local conservation target - 28 percent - and the highest individual daily water-use figure in the county. In October, that per person amount was 127.8 gallons.

Sonoma’s warm inland weather and large residential lawns contribute to the city’s higher level of water consumption. But some homeowners are replacing their grass lawns with low water-use landscaping, a trend that should reduce consumption, Takasugi said.

Sonoma also is scheduled to start construction next year on a system that will deliver recycled water to the local high school and middle school and one city park, he said.

Statewide, people used an average of 87 gallons per day in October, down from 97 gallons a day in September, the water board said. Usage ranged from 34 gallons a day in a San Bernardino County service area in the high desert near Hesperia to 312 gallons per person in the Santa Fe Irrigation District in northern San Diego County, including Rancho Santa Fe, one of the wealthiest communities in the nation.

The “performance standard” for indoor water use in California is 55 gallons per day.

Water savings in October amounted to 41.9 billion gallons statewide, more than three times the 13 billion gallons saved in October 2014.

Marcus said Californian’s appear to have made lasting changes in their water consumption habits in the fourth year of the state drought. “I think people get it,” she said.

But she also cautioned that the abundant precipitation that could come from a strong El Niño this winter is “still a prediction.”

You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 521-5457 or guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @guykovner.