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Long Beach hits record low water consumption in March

Posted by: Maven on April 6, 2009 at 6:14 am

From the Long Beach Water Department:

[Friday], the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners announced that Long Beach has set a new record 10-year low for water consumption in March, using 14 percent below the city’s historical 10 year average for March. Precipitation in March was well below normal levels. For the Fiscal Year, which started October 1, Long Beach water consumption is 17 percent below the historical 10-year average. The 10-year historical average is from FY’98 to FY’07, which are the 10 years prior to Long Beach’s call for extraordinary conservation and prohibitions on certain outdoor uses of water. March ’09 is the 18th record setting month for low water consumption since September 2007.

Yesterday, the California Department of Water Resources announced its fourth snow survey of the winter season, citing that Sierra Nevada snowpack water content is just 81 percent of normal for the date, statewide. “A below-average snowpack at this time of year, especially following two consecutive dry years is a cause for concern,” said DWR Director Lester Snow. “Our most critical storage reservoirs remain low, and we face severe water supply problems in many parts of our state. Californians must continue to save water at home and in their businesses.”

“Long Beach implemented extraordinary conservation measures long before people were talking about weather conditions or the drought,” according to Kevin L. Wattier, General Manager of the Long Beach Water Department. “Southern California faces a structural imbalance between its water supplies and its water demands, even in normal years, and every Southern Californian needs to heed the Governor’s call to reduce their water consumption by 20 percent.”

On September 13, 2007, the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners issued a Declaration of Imminent Water Supply Shortage and activated the City’s Emergency Water Supply Shortage Plan. As a result, the Board of Water Commissioners issued mandatory prohibitions on certain outdoor uses of water. “The Board took the action it did, well over a year ago now, to specifically forestall and lessen the impact of an expected water supply shortage,” states John Allen, President of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners. The Board’s Declaration and implementation of permanent outdoor watering prohibitions in 2007 was specifically necessitated by the profound impact of permanent reductions to imported water deliveries into southern California; dramatic reductions in water storage levels in key reservoirs in northern California, along with climate realities.

“A water shortage is imminent, and Long Beach has prepared itself to deal with it,” according to Allen. “Prepare for the worst, hope is not a responsible option.”

Long Beach Conservation Effectiveness Indicators…by the numbers:

Note: The 10-year historical average is from FY 98 – FY 07, which are the 10 years prior to conservation. The 5-year historical average is from FY 03 – FY 07, which are the 5 years prior to conservation.

Month of March
10-yr High: 5,550 (FY 02)
Historical 10-yr Avg: 5,050
Historical 5-yr Avg: 5,100
Actual 10-yr Avg: 5,100
10-yr Low: 4,700 (FY 06)
March FY 08: 5,050
March FY 09: 4,350

Of Note:
– March FY 09 is 14.0% below Historical 10-year average
– March FY 09 is 14.7% below Historical 5-year average
– March FY 09 is 14.4% below the Actual 10-year average
– March FY 09 is 13.7% below March FY 08

March Year-to-Date
10-yr High: 31,850 (FY 04)
Historical 10-yr Avg: 30,750
Historical 5-yr Avg: 30,800
Actual 10-yr Avg: 30,650
10-yr Low: 29,350 (FY 05)
YTD March FY 08: 28,700
YTD March FY 09: 25,600

Of Note:
– March FY 09 YTD is 16.8% below Historical 10-year average
– March FY 09 YTD is 16.8% below Historical 5-year average
– March FY 09 YTD is 16.5% below the Actual 10-year average
– March FY 09 YTD is 10.8% below March FY 08 YTD

March FY 09 to March FY 08 Comparison
Demand
March FY 08: 5,050 AF
March FY 09: 4,350 AF

Precipitation:
Normal*: 2.43 inches
March FY 08: 0.00 inches
March FY 09: 0.42 inches

Temperature:
Normal*: 59.7 degrees
March FY 08: 60.2 degrees
March FY 09: 58.8 degrees
* Normal period 1971 to 2000 (as defined by National Weather Service)

Of Note:
– Precipitation for March 2009 was well below normal, yet conservation levels remain high.

Ryan J. Alsop
Director of Government & Public Affairs
Long Beach Water
Brennan S. Thomas Administration Building

April 6, 2009 · Filed Under Southern California, Water Agency News

Comments

One Response to “Long Beach hits record low water consumption in March”

  1. BeWaterWiseRep on April 6th, 2009 11:04 pm

    Long Beach has set an example for Southern California. It shows that if all of us become more proactive on water conservation, we can save up gallons of water. Little things that we can do to save water are: turn off faucets when not in use, take shorter showers, use gray water in lawns and toilet, avoid watering plants on rainy days, etc. Here are some more ways to save water http://www.bewaterwise.com/tips01.html
    Please pass on this message to all Southern Californians. if Long Beach can do it, so can all of us!

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