Like most Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD) customers, you recognize that conservation is a way of life in California. We greatly appreciate everything you are doing to reduce water use. However, as the drought continues and we face the warmer months of our third dry year, now is the time to re-examine how we can work together to save even more water during these unprecedented times.
Gov. Newsom’s approach to limiting summertime water use requires all Californians to do their part to use water wisely while also giving local water managers discretion based on local supply conditions. EVMWD has a local voluntary water use reduction of 10-20 percent currently in place. These actions underscore the serious challenges faced by California in maintaining a reliable supply of water during a drought. This year’s January to March period is the driest on record and as of April 1, the state’s snowpack plummeted to just 38% of average.
A good place to start is by evaluating what you’re already doing to reduce water use and finding new ways to save. There are many water saving tips on sites such as www.saveourwater.com. You can also find information on how to save more water as well as available rebates at www.evmwd.com/conservation.
A majority of residential water use comes from outdoor uses, such as landscaping, cleaning sidewalks and driveways. Reducing landscape watering time, watering only after 6 p.m. and before 6 a.m., replacing lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping, and using brooms instead of hoses to clean off driveways are some ways that residents can help save water.
If the past drought taught us anything, it is that water is a precious resource that should not be wasted. There are many relatively easy ways to conserve water.
In addition to ongoing efficiency, we also thank you for supporting significant investments in local drought-resilient supplies. These investments have made us better prepared for this drought and for future prolonged droughts. That preparation – combined with your water-wise habits – is key to achieving an efficient and resilient water future.