SALINAS VALLEY — As Monterey County experiences a second dry year in a row, California Water Service (Cal Water) encourages customers in its Salinas and King City districts to conserve water as much as possible.
“Our Salinas and King City district customers have done a tremendous job with their conservation efforts, and we look forward to partnering with them again as we again face dry conditions,” said Salinas Interim District Manager and prior King City District Manager Marc Bloom.
On July 7, Monterey County was added to the state’s drought emergency declaration. According to Bloom, Cal Water has been preparing to meet customers’ needs locally in preparation for these conditions. These efforts include:
- Replacing, repairing and upgrading infrastructure to minimize water loss;
- Identifying and repairing leaks through a Water Loss Auditing and Control Program;
- Developing 30-year Water Supply and Facilities Master Plans, which enable the utility to identify and address potential gaps in supplies; and
- Updating its Conservation Master Plan to help determine programs that would most benefit local customers and reduce water use.
“Although these efforts are critically important, they can’t take the place of customer conservation efforts,” Bloom said.
Cal Water encourages customers to utilize its industry-leading conservation program to help save water. The utility offers rebates on high-efficiency appliances and devices; a free conservation kit that includes a garden hose nozzle with shutoff valve, high-efficiency showerheads, faucet aerators and more; educational resources; and a smart landscape tune-up program that includes an irrigation system evaluation along with installation of efficient devices and repair of irrigation leaks at no cost to customers.
Residents and businesses should also continue observing the prohibited uses of water that have been in effect. Water-wasting activities include, in part, using water on outdoor landscaping that causes runoff onto adjacent properties or paved areas; using water during or within 48 hours after measurable rainfall; using a hose to wash vehicles unless the hose has a shutoff nozzle or similar device; and using water in a fountain or other decorative water feature, except where part of a recirculating system.
Cal Water customers can visit calwater.com/conservation for information on conservation programs along with a full list of prohibited uses of water.
Cal Water serves about 123,200 people through 31,600 service connections in the Salinas Valley.
