News of the Arroyo
Title: | Drought officially arrives |
Subtitle: | Governor's budget would borrow from lottery to cut deficit |
Date: | 2008-06-06 |
Summary: | June 6, 2008 - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes it official: we are in a serious, long-lasting drought. |
Author: | Kerry Cavanaugh, Staff Writer |
Publication: | Pasadena Star-News |
Content: | After two years of little rainfall, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought Wednesday that will trigger water-efficiency and -conservation programs across California. The governor\'s announcement came hours before the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power approved new water-conservation rules for residents and businesses that will limit everything from lawn watering to car washing. The board also approved penalties and fines starting at $100 for those who ignore the new water-conservation rules. If approved by the City Council, Los Angeles will soon begin fining residents for wasting water for the first time since a drought in the early 1990s. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the city has long been encouraging voluntary conservation programs, but the drought situation has become so serious that L.A. must demand conservation. \"Some people have joined the effort and others have not,\" the mayor said. \"We have to take measures to conserve, even where they require mandatory measures that require fines to get folks to do what we should all do - and that is to protect this very precious resource.\" The governor\'s declaration of a drought adds urgency to the DWP\'s effort. This is the first time a governor has announced a statewide drought since 1991. Rainfall over the past two years has been below normal, with some Southern California communities receiving only 20percent of their expected rainfall in 2007. Reservoirs that store the state\'s water supply are low, and imported supplies from the Colorado River have been reduced because of a drought in that region. The Department of Water Resources found that snowpack in the Sierras - which supplies much of the state\'s water - was 67percent of normal, and runoff into California rivers was expected to be 55percent of normal. \"Some local governments are rationing water, developments can\'t proceed and agricultural fields Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger looks up as he signs an executive order directing the Department of Water Resources to help speed water transfers to areas with the worst shortages, during a news conference at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, June 4, 2008. Schwarzengger signed the order after declaring California to be in a statewide drought because of two years of below-average rainfall, and low snowmelt runoff. At right is Lester Snow, director of the Dept. of Water Resources. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) are sitting idle,\" Schwarzenegger said. \"We must recognize the severity of the crisis we face.\" The governor\'s executive order directs the Department of Water Resources to arrange water transfers to areas suffering from emergency shortages; to work with local water agencies to improve conservation efforts; and to expedite grants to municipal water districts. Southern California is especially vulnerable to drought because the region relies heavily on water imported from the Sierras and the Colorado River. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California - the wholesaler that supplies most cities in the region - next week will consider stronger calls for conservation. \"As a short-term, stopgap measure, Metropolitan is drawing on its significant reserve supplies,\" said Timothy Brick, chairman of the MWD\'s board of directors. That includes relying on Diamond Valley Lake, the MWD\'s main water-storage reservoir. But the lake is already 55feet lower than full storage. \"But with the worsening problems in the (Sacramento) Delta, there is no guarantee Southern California can replenish reserve supplies whenever this drought cycle ends,\" Brick said. \"It is vital to stretch our reserve supplies for as long as possible.\" Los Angeles has historically fared well during previous droughts because it was able to import water from the eastern Sierras through a city-owned aqueduct. However, environmental lawsuits and settlements have dramatically reduced how much water L.A. can take from the Owens Valley. Those settlements - coupled with the drought on the Colorado River and a court decision involving an endangered fish that affects water transfers from Northern California - have limited L.A.\'s water supply. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DO YOU SEE PEOPLE WASTING WATER? See pictures of water-wasters, and even submit your own RELATED STORY: * Ways to save water in your home ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Last month, Villaraigosa outlined a plan to conserve and recycle enough water over the next 20 years to serve an expected 500,000 more Angelenos without having to import more water. That includes reviving a once-controversial project to mix treated sewage water into the drinking water supply. It also called for stronger city laws on water conservation. The DWP unanimously approved those new rules Wednesday, including prohibiting lawn watering between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. or whenever it rains. It would also limit irrigation to 15 minutes a day, and penalize people who over-irrigate and let the water flow into the street or sidewalk. Meanwhile, if residents want to wash their cars, they\'ll have to use a hose with a nozzle or shut-off device. Restaurants would be prohibited from serving customers a glass of water without being asked, and hotels would have to offer guests the option of leaving their sheets and towels unwashed during their stay. Offenders would be given one warning. Then fines would start at $100 for the second violation and increase up to $300 for residential customers. Commercial customers\' penalties for the second offense start at $200 and increase to $600. Also Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a rebate program for residents in Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts who install indoor and outdoor water-saving devices. The districts include areas in Topanga Canyon, Malibu, Acton, Val Verde, Kagel Canyon and the Antelope Valley. DWP commissioners endorsed the new city rules and higher fines Wednesday, saying they believe Angelenos understand the severity of the drought and the possibility that global warming will mean more droughts to come. \"In the past we thought we were dealing with a brief drought situation that would come and would go,\" said Commissioner Wally Knox. \"I don\'t think there is a person in this room ... who thinks we\'re dealing with a temporary situation. I expect to live the rest of my life in whatever it is we\'re going into.\" |
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