Mayor, staff announce consumption reduced by 18 percent, 214 million gallons
While residents of other parts of California are far behind Gov. Jerry Brown’s announced goal of a 20-percent reduction in water consumption, Benicians are closing in on the mark, a city analysis has determined.
“Benicia truly is ‘the little city that could,’” Mayor Elizabeth Patterson said in a news release Friday, invoking the popular children’s book, “The Little Engine that Could.”
According to the news release, the analysis conducted by city staff showed that compared to the same time frame in 2013, Benicia as a community has cut back its water use by nearly 18 percent since January.
That’s a savings of 214 million gallons of water, the analysis concluded.
From March 1 to May 31, the city managed to cut back 10 percent when compared to 2012, the year Benicia originally began using as a benchmark (however, the State Water Resources Control Board chose to use 2013 as a comparison date).
During the same period, much of the rest of the state had cut back a cumulative 5 percent, according to one calculation; another pegged the state at actually marginally increasing its water use.
Those figures were released shortly after the city announced residents were halfway to the governor’s recommended goal, which the city also had adopted.
“In February this year, we asked residents to voluntarily reduce water use by 20 percent — long before the State Water Resources Control Board mandated conservation,” Patterson said. “Our residents took action to use less water and have been saving ever since.”
Benicia contracts annually for more than 17,000 acre-feet of water, though the State Water Project (SWP) rarely gives its contractors their full amounts, basing allotments on snowpacks and other factors.
An acre-foot is the amount of water it would take to cover 1 acre in 1 foot of water.
City operations and residents use about 10,000 acre-feet every year, City Manager Brad Kilger has written, and the city has 5,000 acre-feet of water in carryover storage. The city normally gets 85 percent of its water from the SWP.
But last November, state officials said contractors would receive only 5 percent of their contracts. For Benicia, that amount is 860 acre-feet.
Then, when Brown declared the drought in January, the state dropped SWP allotments to zero; however, in spring contractors were told they would receive 5 percent, though not until after Sept. 1.
At its March 4 meeting, Benicia City Council authorized up to $900,000 to buy up to 6,000 acre-feet of water. The city also launched a voluntary program to reduce residents’ water use by 20 percent and told city employees to reduce the city’s own water use by 20 percent, too.
In a series of votes last month, the Council supplemented the request for voluntary cutbacks with mandatory water restrictions.
Under these restrictions, landscape irrigation is allowed only between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m., and days of watering are governed as well.
Residences and commercial addresses with odd numbers may water only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Addresses with even numbers are limited to watering Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. No one is allowed to water Sundays.
Through Oct. 15, maintenance-level watering is allowed for turf at private schools, day care centers, sports fields, playing fields and other well-used recreation areas in public parks, school campuses and child care centers.
Beginning Oct. 16 through March 31, 2015, the restrictions change in anticipation of some rainfall occurring during those months. During that period, all residential and commercial sites will irrigate only Saturdays and Sundays.
These limits don’t apply to landscapes irrigated with low-volume systems such as drip irrigation, or to those watering using a hand-held bucket or when watering briefly is needed while adjusting or repairing an irrigation system.
Under certain conditions, new landscaping can be watered four times a week throughout the first year of planting so vegetation can get established.
Restrictions are expected to continue until the drought is declared over.
“We are focused on educating our customers about efficient watering practices,” Dave Wenslawski, Benicia’s water quality technician, said Friday.
“When a water-wasting problem is brought to our attention, we typically contact customers to help resolve the problem. If a conversation isn’t possible, we will leave a door hanger outlining issues that deserve attention.”
The state has provided local agencies such as Benicia with the authority to impose $500 fines for those who refuse to conserve.
It also has imposed restrictions by the Water Board forbidding runoff from sprinklers, washing a vehicle without a shut-off nozzle, using potable water for washing driveways and sidewalks (except in cases involving public health and safety), and using drinking water in ornamental fountains that don’t recirculate.
On its website BeniciaSavesWater.org, Benicia provides water-saving tips as well as information about rebates available to those who change fixtures and appliances to types that save water.
In addition, the city is offering free services and rebates to help residential and business customers use less water.
Among them are the “laundry to landscape” graywater kits and “Showerstart” showerheads.
In addition, the city can provide free consultations for both residential and business customers who want to learn how they can reduce water consumption at home and at work.
“Simply following Benicia’s emergency outdoor watering restrictions will help reduce water use,” Patterson said.
“We urge everyone to keep up the good work and to do their part to conserve, especially outdoors where most water use and water waste occurs.”
Mark Stevenson says
Great job, but my lawn is brown and the affordable housing apartments on Rose Dr lawn is nice and green. Thanks to the city for not walking the walk.