Amador Water Agency lifts water conservation restrictions
Amador Water Agency New Release:
Contact: Gene Mancebo, General Manager, Amador Water Agency, 209-223-3018
(Sutter Creek) At its May 26, 2016 meeting, the Amador Water Agency Board of Directors voted unanimously (4-0-1, Director Paul Molinelli absent) to declare an end to the Agency’s Stage 2 Drought Water Warning conservation restrictions in effect since April 9, 2015. In addition, the Water Shortage Surcharge approved in July, 2015 will be lifted, with no drought surcharge appearing on any water bill beginning July 1, 2016.
“We are very pleased to remove these state-mandated restrictions,” said AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo. “Customers are welcome to return to their normal landscape watering and use in homes and businesses, but encouraged to continue to use water wisely.”
This decision came after the State Water Resources Control Board made significant changes to statewide water conservation emergency regulations on May 18, which now allow water agencies to set conservation targets based on local water supplies.
AWA calculated its water supply based on the State Board’s guidelines and determined the Agency has an adequate supply of water and, even if the next three years are dry, will not experience a supply shortage. The Mokelumne River Basin received a little over 100% of average rain and snow this winter with Amador County storage reservoirs at capacity or filling.
“Our customers have done a tremendous job in conserving water to meet the state-mandated requirements and the Agency has made significant investment in infrastructure, resulting in millions of gallons of water conserved,” said Mancebo. “This has helped us get though some of the worst years of drought in California history.”
The Governor’s order makes permanent some water waste prohibitions, including irrigating lawns in a way that causes runoff, using non-recirculated water in a fountain or other decorative water feature, watering within 48 hours of precipitation, hosing off sidewalks and driveways, washing automobiles with hoses that do not have a shut-off nozzle, and the use of potable water to irrigate turf in street medians.
Water saving devices, including water conserving showerheads, toilet kits and faucet restrictors are available free to AWA customers at the AWA office. Additionally, customers in Lake Camanche, Amador City, Sutter Creek and Pioneer are eligible for free high-efficiency toilets and shower heads through the Vintage Home Retrofit program for disadvantaged communities, paid for by a grant from the Upper Mokelumne River Water Authority.
AWA’s Water Waste Prohibition remains in effect all year. The regulation gives the agency the ability to enforce prohibitions against water waste, with fines under certain circumstances.
