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Community Corner

ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT ASKS CUSTOMERS TO REDUCE WATER USAGE BY 20%

Request comes in Support of Governor Brown’s Proclamation of a Drought Emergency

 

Fremont, CA Alameda County Water District announced today that it is requesting Tri-City area residents, businesses, and institutions to voluntarily cut back on their water use by 20% in response to Governor Brown’s declaration of a statewide drought emergency.

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ACWD relies on local runoff from the Alameda Creek watershed for 40% of its supplies. The State Water Project provides 40% of the ACWD’s supplies, with the balance of 20% purchased from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s (SFPUC’s) Hetch-Hetchy water system.

In light of the continued dry conditions, both locally and in the Sierras, and recent information from California Department of Water Resources officials regarding State Water Project availability, ACWD is currently updating its water supply forecasts. With no significant precipitation in the forecast, the District is concerned and continues to monitor the situation very closely. ACWD staff is closely coordinating with officials from the California Department of Water Resources and the SFPUC regarding water supply conditions of the State Water Project and Hetch-Hetchy system, respectively.

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Because of the ongoing dry conditions, and uncertainties with both local and imported water supply availability, ACWD is requesting that customers voluntarily cut back on their water use by 20%.  Below, please find guidelines on how customers can help by reducing their water use.

 “We are taking this third dry year very seriously,” said Board President Paul Sethy. “Our customers’ water conservation efforts in the past have really helped lessen the impacts of dry conditions.  Continuing these habits and developing new ones will be crucial this year. We will also continue to update the community as new information becomes available.”

“ACWD has a comprehensive water conservation program with plenty of incentives, tools and technical information to help our customers save water,” noted ACWD Water Conservation Supervisor Stephanie Nevins. “If customers have been thinking about taking advantage of the rebates and incentives ACWD offers, now is the time,” Nevins went on to say.

ACWD officials encourage customers to conserve water in the following ways:

  • Find and fix leaks. Leaky faucets, showers, toilets and irrigation systems can waste a lot of water.
  • Significantly reduce, or if possible, eliminate landscape water use during these shorter days and cooler nights.
  • Cover exposed soil with mulch.
  • Operate clothes washers and dishwashers with full loads only.
  • Take shorter showers.
  • Turn off the tap when brushing teeth or shaving.
  • Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and walkways.
  • Get your car washed at a commercial car wash that recycles water.
  • Install high-efficiency clothes washers.
  • Replace older, high water use fixtures and devices with water efficient models (toilets, showerheads, faucet aerators).
  • Reduce lawn areas and choose native and drought tolerant plants for your landscapes.

 

For additional information on ACWD’s water conservation programs, including rebates on turf replacement and high efficiency clothes washers, please visit the ACWD website at www.acwd.org.

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For 100 years, the Alameda County Water District has supplied water to the residents and businesses of southern Alameda County. ACWD supplies drinking water to the more than 336,000 people living in the cities of Fremont, Newark, and Union City. For more information, please visit www.acwd.org.





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