Item 07 - Response to OC Grand Jury Report_ Historic Rain, Yet Drought

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HISTORIC RAIN, YET DROUGHT REMAINS ORANGE COUNTY GRAND JURY 2022 I 2023 Page 44 of 57 Utilization of other supplies Besides the North/Central Orange County aquifer and those obtained from Metropolitan Water District, there are other insignificant supplies of water. These include surface water captured in Irvine Lake and the San Juan Creek Groundwater Basin in South Orange County. Neither of these are significant supplies of water. Water Efficiency to Increase Supply Orange County Water Districts have found they can reduce the immediate need for increasing water supplies by more efficient use of water. This certainly stretches the water supplies, but it is limited in its ability. Future water needs will require more than just efficient water use. During the recent drought from 2011 to late 2022, Orange County Water Suppliers reduced the per-capita water use significantly by more efficient water use and conservation. This has allowed development to continue to occur even as the water supply was reduced. Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) customers reduced their water use from 89 gallons per capita in 2007 to 67 gallons per capita in 2021.31 The area served by IRWD is a newer area where much of the landscaping is irrigated by recycled water and is drought tolerant. The IRWD also has extensive use of water saving plumbing in homes. Older areas of Orange County have also reduced per-capita water use. North and Central Orange County reduced water use from 330 acre-feet in water year 1999-2000 to 230 acre-feet in water year 2022-202332 while the population grew slightly.33 Water efficiency savings have been achieved by adopting water saving devices, changes in landscape practices, greater recycling of water, tiered water rates (higher users, higher rates) and the public’s participation. Water suppliers have worked with users to identify the need for greater efficiency by promoting these changes. The State of California also mandated a 20 percent reduction in urban per-capita water use by 2020 in the Water Conservation Act of 2009. The change to efficient use of water will need to become the future standard as water supplies diminish and as housing development increases. However, it is not reasonable to expect greater efficiency to make up for the reduction in supply caused by climate change. Several of the interviewees and many of the reference documents the Grand Jury reviewed stated Orange County cannot conserve its way out of a drought. Besides the significant reduction in per-capita water use, greater savings may be made by more drastic changes in lifestyle. None of the information supplied by water suppliers and reviewed by the Grand Jury addressed these changes. As an example of lifestyle changes, areas such as Phoenix and Las Vegas have either adopted or are in the process of adopting drastic restrictions on landscape water use as a long-term