On Tap Summer 2014 Western water news, info and tips T Your Guide to Efficiency as Drought Escalates IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR LAWN. How Serious Is The...2 Drought? See Our Mandatory...3 Drought Restrictions Local Water Expansion...6 Projects #
The Drought, It s Serious In response to the ongoing severe California drought, the State Water Resources Control Board approved an emergency regulation July 15 to ensure an increase in water efficiency, looking to meet the Governor s call to action of a 20 percent reduction in water use statewide. Both of these actions have resulted in great efficiency from customers, explained John Rossi, Western s General Manager, adding, Demand is down, efficiency is up. We continue to work with customers to reduce use wherever we can...as Californians, we all need to be water-wise every day whether in drought periods or not. Please continue to follow the mandatory water use restrictions, noted on page 3. Through your efficiency efforts and our work to secure water supplies, together we ve made impacts to the reduction of demand, which is down 17 percent since 2010. Participation in efficiency programs has also increased; Turf Replacement has jumped nearly 150 percent from 2013. Get full details on the quality of your water in our 2013 Water Quality Report, which is available online at wmwd.com. January 2013 Snow Pack January 2014 Drought 2
Drought Continues Reminder...Water Use Restrictions! Mandatory restrictions are in place. Here s what you need to know: Landscape watering is prohibited on all days of the week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Run-off water must be eliminated from property. Hoses need to have automatic, shut-off nozzles. All leaks, improperly adjusted sprinklers or other water conduits/ fixtures that need repair must be corrected within 72 hours of receiving District notification. No washing down sidewalks, driveways, patios or other paved or hard surfaces. Western s plan allows for two notices of violation, then a $100 penalty per day would apply. Visit wmwd.com for more ways you can be water-wise. Turf Replacement Get paid to rip out turf! These days, a monotone lawn has become passé. Turn heads this fall by applying today for Western s Turf Replacement Program that offers a newly increased financial incentive! Give your yard a water-wise makeover by swapping out old water-guzzling grass with new, vibrant water-saving garden friendly landscaping. Visit westernturfreplacement.com for full details on the rebates. 3
Free Landscape Evaluations Drowning in your landscape? Let us help you by sending an irrigation expert to your home to check for leaks and other ways you can save water. It s free and easy! Visit yourwaterbudget.wmwd.com. Doing Your Part Save Water with Free Sprinkler Nozzles It doesn t get any better than replacing your current sprinkler nozzles with new ones that will save you water as well as be kind to your pocketbook. The free sprinkler nozzles are worth about $4 each to our customers. And, you can expect to save a significant amount of water over a five-year period. Customers can receive up to 25 free Toro Precision Spray Nozzles. Get full details at FreeSprinklerNozzles.com. 4
Western s Water-efficient Garden For water-friendly planting recommendations that require much less water, visit Western s Landscapes Southern California Style SM garden in Riverside. The garden provides a great example of water-efficient plants that can be used in residential landscaping. Combining native and drought-tolerant plants with efficient irrigation can result in significant water savings. Samples of different water-saving landscapes can also be found on our website, wmwd.com. Our garden is also home to our award-winning Earth Night in the Garden event, which takes place every April on Earth Day. This family event celebrates water and the environment with a lady bug release, face painting and fun for all. Garden workshops and events are regularly offered here. From developing a butterfly garden to planting succulents, you ll be set to plant a fantastic water-efficient garden at home. How-to Suggestions It s About Thyme Outdoor Water Savings Tips for Summer According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as much as 50 percent of outdoor water use is wasted because of evaporation, wind and runoff due to inefficient irrigation programs. There are several simple ways for you to save water outside: Trim a minute from your watering time Cut back a day of irrigation Fix outdoor leaks 5
John V. Rossi General Manager Board of Directors Division 1 Charles D. Field Board Member Division 2 Thomas P. Evans Board Member Division 3 Brenda Dennstedt President Division 4 Donald D. Galleano Vice President Division 5 S. R. Al Lopez Secretary-Treasurer Local Projects Store Water Close to Home By combining our water-saving programs for customers with our regional water supply projects, we continue to reduce our dependence on the water we receive from far off sources. Our desalters, for instance, clean brackish groundwater in our region while removing salt from our aquifers. We re also working on storing water from significant rain years for use in drier times through local groundwater storage. Additionally, we provide recycled water to local groves, nurseries and parks. It s important to use the right source for the right use. Another supply project that we re happy to report on is our Murrieta New Clay Well. The well was recently placed back into use. It will provide a local source of water for our Murrieta customers. Water from this local source will keep our Murrieta customers bills reasonable when compared to using the more costly imported water. For more information on our water supply projects, visit wmwd.com. General Information 951.571.7100 Billing 951.571.7104 After-hours Emergencies 951.789.5109 Landscapes Southern California Style SM Water-efficiency Garden 951.571.7236 Rebate Hotline 888.376.3314 Fax 951.571.0590 Email outreach@wmwd.com Website wmwd.com Printed on recycled paper On Tap is published by Western Municipal Water District 14205 Meridian Parkway Riverside, California 92518 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube! Forward your comments and suggestions to the Community & Government Affairs Office at the above address or via email to outreach@wmwd.com 6