News of the Arroyo
Title: | Taking water conservation to the next level |
Subtitle: | |
Date: | 2006-09-02 |
Summary: | September 2, 2006 - MWD General Manager Jeff Kightlinger urges Southern Californians to take water conservation to the next level by using California Friendly landscaping, smart irrigation controllers and other outdoor conservation measures. |
Author: | Jeff Kightlinger - Commentary |
Publication: | North County Times |
Content: | For years, Southern California water agencies have recognized that conservation represents an affordable, environmentally appealing alternative to building new dams and reservoirs. Our region has made great strides simply by making conservation investments inside the home. But with up to 70 percent of water used outdoors, especially in hotter inland areas, it\'s become apparent that one of the solutions to ensuring reliable water supplies is in our own backyard. In a step that many feel is long overdue, the state Legislature this week approved Assembly Bill 1881 by Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, which would require that local governments update their water conservation laws by Jan. 1, 2010, to recognize the need for more water-efficient landscaping. We hope that the governor will sign this measure into law. Whatever happens, it\'s essential that Southern Californians continue their trend-setting ways in terms of water conservation. These painless solutions are within the grasp of any homeowner, and make a lot of economic sense, especially in the warmer, faster-growing regions of the state. Why should anyone spend hundreds of dollars a month to water a lawn when equally beautiful alternatives would allow homeowners to dramatically cut water use without sacrificing colorful flowers ---- and even keep some grass if they so choose? The water industry and many builders see that the future in single-family housing is the \"California Friendly\" model of sensible, climate-appropriate landscaping, cutting-edge irrigation techniques, and water- and energy-efficient appliances. For example, smart sprinkler controllers use real-time weather data to greatly reduce excessive irrigation of our landscapes. This equipment not only reduces water bills, it also reduces the amount of energy being used to transport water to our taps. As an added bonus, it cuts down on the amount of urban runoff flowing to the ocean. Southern Californians also are rediscovering their landscape heritage and are learning that waterwise landscapes are not limited to cactus. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has released a list of 250 California Friendly plants that are attractive and require little to no maintenance once they get established (aside from the occasional trim). And with the prime planting season for these plants running from October through the winter months, there\'s plenty of time for a landscape makeover. Just as the 1970s\' energy crisis produced the movement that gave us the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\'s Energy Star label for energy-efficient appliances, the 1987-92 drought, climate change and other uncertainties spurred Metropolitan\'s development of the California Friendly brand, which provides the same advice when it comes to saving water. Southern California residents will soon see the California Friendly logo on the products they buy, whether it\'s a household plant, a high-efficiency clothes washer or a brand-new home. So while we encourage the governor to sign AB 1881 into law, there\'s plenty of work to be done at home. The solution isn\'t just going to be found in Sacramento ---- it\'s right outside our back door. Jeff Kightlinger is general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Los Angeles-based agency that supplies more than 18 million Southern Californians in six counties ---- including San Diego ---- with drinking water. |
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