Water use in Redlands actually down in August, not up By Sandra Emerson, Redlands Daily Facts POSTED: 09/11/14 REDLANDS >> The city showed a drastic decrease in water use in August, city officials said Thursday, rather than the increase reported Wednesday. City staff further analyzed the city’s water use data and found that water use citywide in August was down 20 percent over the previous August, a decrease they attribute to the mandatory water restrictions and education efforts. City staff told the Redlands Daily Facts on Wednesday that the water use for August was 9 percent higher than in August 2013. “As we advertise the mandatory restrictions, we always refer our customers back to the options of doing rebates and taking advantage of our audit program,” said Cecilia Griego, the city’s water conservation coordinator. The city ranked second in the state for increased water use in July, with a reported 14 percent increase over the month last year, according to a State Water Resources Control Board survey of 362 agencies. Chris Diggs, deputy director of the city’s Municipal Utilities and Engineering Department, likened the increase to hotter, drier conditions the region has been experiencing, but officials are looking into the possible reasons for the reported increase. “We’re just trying to figure out whether this is an actual increase in consumption or just a reporting error on behalf of the city,” Diggs said. “It’s difficult to say exactly what the reason is. We are looking into that.” The State Water Resources Control Board reported urban water use down by 7.5 percent statewide in July compared with last July. The board enacted restrictions on water use effective July 28. Cities throughout the state are required to implement regulations on irrigation. The city implemented restrictions at the end of July. Those restrictions limit watering to odd and even calendar days for odd and even addresses The City Council in August approved the allocation of $20,000 to partner with other water agencies in the San Bernardino Basin Area to promote water efficiency. The plan includes development of a new website, news releases, billboard ads, bus ads and theater ads. The city has also participated in radio ads and advertisements at the Inland Empire 66ers’ home field in San Bernardino and the Lake Elsinore Storm home field. Redlands has contributed $14,000 thus far to the $300,000 campaign, Griego said. The city has worked to replace 27 miles of leaky pipes, she said. Diggs said he is asked by residents if the construction and pipe replacement being done in the city adds to the amount of water being used. “I think it’s actually the opposite,” he said. “We’re replacing leaking pipes with brand-new intact pipelines.” City of Redlands Water Conservation link: cityofredlands.org/drought redlandsdailyfacts/environment-and-nature/20140911/water-use-in-redlands-actually-down-in-august-not-up
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 16:34:01 +0000
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