HEMET FAILS TO MEET STATE MANDATED WATER CONSERVATION GOALS
HEMET FAILS TO MEET STATE MANDATED WATER CONSERVATION GOALS
FACES POSSIBLE FINES UP TO $500 PER DAY
The city of Hemet was among several other cities and water districts named in the first round of enforcement orders from the State Water Resources Control Board because data indicated they were each 15% or more off their state mandated conservation targets during the month of June.
Data that was recently released by the State Water Resources Control Board showed in the month of June, 265 out of 411 local water agencies either achieved or nearly achieved their savings targets, despite last June being one of the hottest on record. The report indicated some of California’s biggest cities and their residents, including the cities of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose had been very successful in their water conservation efforts.
Governor Jerry Brown had previously ordered a reduction of 25% in urban consumption use compared to 2013 levels. Each community was given nine months to meet assigned conservation targets, which were as high as 36% for some cities. Overall, water use in California fell by 27% in June, passing the conservation target set by Gov. Jerry Brown, regulators recently said.
HEMET BY THE NUMBERS
The conservation goals that were set for each supplier ranged from 8% to 36%, based on each district’s per-capita water consumption between July and September 2014. The Hemet Water District, which purchases it's water from the Eastern Municipal Water District and then supplies to the residents, serves the city of Hemet with a population of nearly 82,000.
The Hemet Water District had a conservation goal that was set by the state at 32%. In spite of this goal, residents only achieved a 17% savings in June, missing state mandated goals by 15%. Even factoring in July when the city of Hemet saw that savings improve to 28%, that still only brought the two month cumulative savings total to 23%, well below the 32% savings mandated by Brown.
Based on it’s missed goal, the city could now be directed by the state to consider new rates, add a drought surcharge, expand conservation programs for commercial and institutional customers and audit at least seven of those accounts per month, identify the highest water users, implement a leak detection program and hire two people to help with enforcement and conservation.
According to Kristen Jensen, Hemet's public works director, many of those recommendations were already being planned before the state’s edict. The city currently gives away ground moisture sensors and hose shutoff nozzles as well as aerators to reduce faucet flow. Additionally, every May the Hemet Water District gives low-flow toilets to residents in exchange for their older, less water conservation friendly toilets.
CITY OF TEMECULA IN THE SAME BOAT
Temecula, with a population of over 106,000 and which is best known for it’s wineries, hot air balloons and rustic old town is served by the Rancho California Water District. According to the data collected and presented by the state, the Rancho California Water District was well below the state’s expectations when it came to conserving water so far this year. According to the data, Temecula was only halfway towards reaching it’s goal of using 36% less water than it did in 2013.
A TALE OF THREE CITIES
Unlike the cities of Hemet and Temecula, Lake Hemet had a target established by the state for reducing water consumption by 28%. However Lake Hemet ended up saving 35%, beating their expected water consumption savings by 7%.
According to Tom Wagner, the general manager of the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District, which serves over 40,000 people, one of the ways his district achieved that reduction was better monitoring of the area’s water meters. “We have automated meter reads that will show something out of the ordinary," Wagner recently told KPCC (Southern California Public Radio.) "If someone has a leak, we will flag it immediately, and we can go out and actually contact the customer, or at least write them, and let them know, ‘You’ve got a leak on your property. You’re way above average use. Please check it out.’”
"It’s really critical in these first summer months for suppliers to be meeting their targets, because if they’re off the mark through the summer, when the greatest volume of water savings is possible, it’s going to be incredibly difficult for them to make that up in the later months as we get into fall,” Max Gomberg, climate and conservation manager for the State Water Resources Control Board, recently told KPCC.
Cities and water districts that fail to meet their mandated goals face potential fines, as much as $500 per day. Felicia Marcus, of the State Water Resources Control Board, recently said, “A lot of it’s going to depend on what the story is individually, but I guarantee you if folks don’t step up, we will move to the fine stage. But there’s no enforcement program that starts at the fine stage in this kind of an effort. And again, our goal is conservation, so the first thing to do is sit down and say, ‘What’s up? What’s happening?’”
Now, the water board said its first priority will be contacting each of the 16 districts or cities that missed their targets by more than 15%,
including the City of Hemet and the Hemet Water District to determine exactly what actions should be taken next.
Contact the writer: trevor.hemeteyenews@gmail.com
Data that was recently released by the State Water Resources Control Board showed in the month of June, 265 out of 411 local water agencies either achieved or nearly achieved their savings targets, despite last June being one of the hottest on record. The report indicated some of California’s biggest cities and their residents, including the cities of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose had been very successful in their water conservation efforts.
Governor Jerry Brown had previously ordered a reduction of 25% in urban consumption use compared to 2013 levels. Each community was given nine months to meet assigned conservation targets, which were as high as 36% for some cities. Overall, water use in California fell by 27% in June, passing the conservation target set by Gov. Jerry Brown, regulators recently said.
HEMET BY THE NUMBERS
The conservation goals that were set for each supplier ranged from 8% to 36%, based on each district’s per-capita water consumption between July and September 2014. The Hemet Water District, which purchases it's water from the Eastern Municipal Water District and then supplies to the residents, serves the city of Hemet with a population of nearly 82,000.
The Hemet Water District had a conservation goal that was set by the state at 32%. In spite of this goal, residents only achieved a 17% savings in June, missing state mandated goals by 15%. Even factoring in July when the city of Hemet saw that savings improve to 28%, that still only brought the two month cumulative savings total to 23%, well below the 32% savings mandated by Brown.
Based on it’s missed goal, the city could now be directed by the state to consider new rates, add a drought surcharge, expand conservation programs for commercial and institutional customers and audit at least seven of those accounts per month, identify the highest water users, implement a leak detection program and hire two people to help with enforcement and conservation.
According to Kristen Jensen, Hemet's public works director, many of those recommendations were already being planned before the state’s edict. The city currently gives away ground moisture sensors and hose shutoff nozzles as well as aerators to reduce faucet flow. Additionally, every May the Hemet Water District gives low-flow toilets to residents in exchange for their older, less water conservation friendly toilets.
CITY OF TEMECULA IN THE SAME BOAT
Temecula, with a population of over 106,000 and which is best known for it’s wineries, hot air balloons and rustic old town is served by the Rancho California Water District. According to the data collected and presented by the state, the Rancho California Water District was well below the state’s expectations when it came to conserving water so far this year. According to the data, Temecula was only halfway towards reaching it’s goal of using 36% less water than it did in 2013.
A TALE OF THREE CITIES
Unlike the cities of Hemet and Temecula, Lake Hemet had a target established by the state for reducing water consumption by 28%. However Lake Hemet ended up saving 35%, beating their expected water consumption savings by 7%.
According to Tom Wagner, the general manager of the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District, which serves over 40,000 people, one of the ways his district achieved that reduction was better monitoring of the area’s water meters. “We have automated meter reads that will show something out of the ordinary," Wagner recently told KPCC (Southern California Public Radio.) "If someone has a leak, we will flag it immediately, and we can go out and actually contact the customer, or at least write them, and let them know, ‘You’ve got a leak on your property. You’re way above average use. Please check it out.’”
A MISSED GOAL
The water board said it will be contacting every agency that failed to come close to it’s targeted water use reduction and will be requesting information from each district regarding what they are now doing to further conserve water, in order to meet the goals established by the state. Those districts that are deemed to be the worst at meeting their expectations will be required to take further appropriate measures such as limiting the number of days it’s residents are allowed to water their lawns and increasing their district’s water waste enforcement efforts.
The water board said it will be contacting every agency that failed to come close to it’s targeted water use reduction and will be requesting information from each district regarding what they are now doing to further conserve water, in order to meet the goals established by the state. Those districts that are deemed to be the worst at meeting their expectations will be required to take further appropriate measures such as limiting the number of days it’s residents are allowed to water their lawns and increasing their district’s water waste enforcement efforts.
"It’s really critical in these first summer months for suppliers to be meeting their targets, because if they’re off the mark through the summer, when the greatest volume of water savings is possible, it’s going to be incredibly difficult for them to make that up in the later months as we get into fall,” Max Gomberg, climate and conservation manager for the State Water Resources Control Board, recently told KPCC.
Cities and water districts that fail to meet their mandated goals face potential fines, as much as $500 per day. Felicia Marcus, of the State Water Resources Control Board, recently said, “A lot of it’s going to depend on what the story is individually, but I guarantee you if folks don’t step up, we will move to the fine stage. But there’s no enforcement program that starts at the fine stage in this kind of an effort. And again, our goal is conservation, so the first thing to do is sit down and say, ‘What’s up? What’s happening?’”
Now, the water board said its first priority will be contacting each of the 16 districts or cities that missed their targets by more than 15%,
including the City of Hemet and the Hemet Water District to determine exactly what actions should be taken next.
Contact the writer: trevor.hemeteyenews@gmail.com
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