This year is critically dry and saving water is essential. The District has declared a Stage 2 Water Shortage and is offering customers rebates and other incentives to use water efficiently this summer.
To support customer efforts to be efficient with water, the District’s Board of Directors declared May as Water Awareness Month. Thoughtful use of the water is essential to the District’s groundwater resources, especially as warmer weather and the irrigation season arrives.
“Scotts Valley, along with most of the state, is experiencing serious drought conditions,” SVWD Manager Piret Harmon said. “We are asking customers to make smart choices when it comes to water use — for this year and for the future.”
Rainfall totals in the Scotts Valley area this year are less than half of normal, and last year also was a dry year. SVWD gets nearly all of its water from underground aquifers that are recharged by rainfall, so years of low rainfall have impacts on water use and future water levels in the aquifers.
As part of the State 2 Water Shortage, customers are asked to water outdoors not more than two times a week. Customers should limit their watering schedules to any two days per week that work for their household.
To help customers manage landscape needs, the Recycled Water Fill Station will reopen one day per week beginning in June, offering recycled water for irrigation purposes to District customers and City of Scotts Valley residents. Members of the SVWD Board of Directors will volunteer to staff this Recycled Water Fill Station this summer. A schedule will be posted soon.
The District is also offering rebates that save customers money while reducing water use. Turf replacement, which has a rebate of $1 per square foot, is a great way to lower outdoor water use. The District also is now requiring outdoor pools be covered when not in use. A new rebate is being offered to reimburse 50% of the cost of a pool cover, which saves both water and energy.
Commercial customers also are being asked to reduce their water consumption. Restaurants are encouraged to only serve water upon request and it’s recommended that hotels give guests an option to not launder bed sheets every day.