Water Authority Urges Conservation

From KPBS, Ed Joyce:

The San Diego County Water Authority says conserving water this year is critical. The agency is worried that excessive outdoor watering will draw down reservoir water that will be needed next year. KPBS reporter Ed Joyce has details.

It’s Spring and that means many homeowners are busy in their yards. The dry, warmer weather also means more outdoor watering.

Ken Weinberg is director of water resources for the San Diego County Water Authority. He says the cooler, wetter winter has helped people reduce their outdoor watering. But he says that has to continue into the summer to preserve future supplies.

Weinberg: We don’t need to water more than three times a week, we don't really need to water more than 10 minutes for the most part. All of those things can save water. The plants that we put in our yard, we can pick lots of really nice low water use plants.

He says outdoor watering accounts for nearly 50 percent of San Diego County’s residential water use. Weinberg says recent legal rulings and a drought on the Colorado river are pinching imported supplies.

Ed Joyce, KPBS News