2008-009 - Aggressive Voluntary Water Conservation by the City's Residents and Businesses

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G. The Colorado River system is now in its eighth year of drought and southern California has experienced significant reductions in available Colorado River supply since 2003; and H. Throughout the State water reserves are being drawn out of storage from reservoirs and from underground basins to meet consumer demand for water; and I. Orange County's large north and central groundwater basin is being drawn down both to lessen the demand on diminished imported supplies and due to the local drought conditions, which have reduced the amount of Santa Ana River flow and rain water available to refill the basin; and J. The cities and water agencies serving Orange County's population of more than 3.1 million have done an outstanding job working together to develop water-management strategies and implement comprehensive conservation programs to help ensure a reliable supply of high-quality water to meet countywide demand; and K. Many cities and water agencies serving Orange County have also invested and continue to invest in research and technology to develop new sources of water such as water recycling to meet demands; and L. Orange County residents and businesses are to be commended for doing their part over the past decade to voluntarily reduce their water usage by participating in locally sponsored conservation and water efficiency programs; and M. As prolonged drought conditions continue along the Colorado River, pumping of water through the Bay-Delta is significantly curtailed, and local drought conditions prevail, mandatory water conservation measures may become necessary; and N. Adopting more aggressive voluntary water conservation habits today is the responsible thing to do and will help ensure Orange County has enough water to maintain our quality of life and thriving economy; and O. There are numerous resources and programs to assist us in our countywide water conservation efforts, including rebates for water saving devices and information on water-saving strategies at www.bewatennrise.com, www.mwdoc.com, www.ocwd.com and www. o cwate rh a ro. co m ; Section 2. City of Santa Ana hereby encourages our residents and businesses to immediately take steps to reduce their water usage through more aggressive water conservation, which will help the region get through this very dry time and regulatory reduction in State Water Project supply, extend available water reserves, help reduce the severity of potential water shortages in the future and minimize water rate increases. Resolution No. 2008-009 Page 2 of 3