GOV. SCHWARZENEGGER DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY OVER DROUGHT; URGES 20% WATER USE REDUCTION. STEEP PRICE INCREASES LOOM, LOCAL WATER OFFICIAL WARNS

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By Miriam Raftery

February 27, 2009 (San Diego's East County)--"This drought is having a devastating impact on our people, our communities, our economy and our environment, making today's action absolutely necessary," said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who declared a state of emergency following three years of drought. The Governor's action aims to have water agencies reduce water usage by 20 percent.

If voluntary conservation measures don't reduce consumption enough, mandatory water rationing could be imposed, said Otay Water District member Mark Robak, speaking at a Rancho San Diego-Jamul Chamber of Commerce breakfast this morning. Prices for residential customers could rise 30 percent, on top of a 10 percent rate increase already implemented recently.

"A 40 percent increase in one year is pretty dramatic," said Robak, who warned that if the drought worsens, water rationing may imposed and consumers could be asked to cut water consumption by 40% or more. The Governor's declaration today raised the drought watch from stage one to a stage two alert. But Robak observed, "If we get to a level four, which is a possibility, the highest users (those using 27 units of water or more per month) could see a 90% increase in their water bills."

San Diego currently gets 81% of its water from non-local sources--the Colorado River and Northern California. But the Colorado River Basin is in its tenth year of drought; Lake Mead's levels are down 48% and Lake Powell is at 54% below capacity. In Northern California, the Sierra snowpack is at 78% of normal for the season, but state hydrologists indicate the snowpack must reach 120 to 130 percent to make up for two years of dry winters and replenish reservoirs, Associated Press reports.

Besides the drought, San Diego has also had water imports reduced sharply due to a court decision that ordered cuts in water pumping in the delta to protect delta smelt, salmon and other fish. The move also protects killer whales that a new federal report finds could be endangered by steep drops in fish populations, which the whales eat.
The drought could result in $2.8 billion in agricultural losses and cost 95,000 jobs statewide, according to state water director Lester Snow, AP reports.

One bright spot amid this gloomy news is that San Diego County is working to create more local water sources and delivery systems. "By 2020, we hope to have 40% of our water from local supplies," said Robak. Those sources could include seawater through desalinization, recycled water, surface water reclamation, and possibly even treated water from Mexico.

In East County, a reservoir expansion project and a new Jamacha pipeline project will improve water delivery for the area. Two portable concrete reservoirs, a $24 million project, will provide a 10 day supply of water that can be used during emergencies, Robak said. In addition, the Otay Water Recycling Center is generating recycled water for use locally.


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