Feb. 20, 2009 - Today, the City of Roseville's Environmental Utilities Department increased its voluntary Stage One Drought Level to a mandatory Stage Two Drought Level requiring water customers to reduce water use by 20 percent. This announcement stems from today's joint briefing from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the Department of Water Resources on 2009 water supply allocations from the Central Valley Project. The briefing, which was the Bureau's first water supply forecast for 2009, reported that Roseville's water supply will be reduced by 50 percent.
"We have been working very hard the past few months preparing for this announcement," said Derrick Whitehead, Roseville Director of Environmental Utilities. "With Roseville's water supply being cut by 50 percent, we need to activate a Stage Two Drought Level now and will monitor the available water supplies over the next few months to evaluate the need to increase the level of water conservation throughout the community."
On April 30, 2008, the City of Roseville activated a Stage One Drought alert within the Roseville city limits when the USBR reduced Roseville's water supply for the 2008 calendar year by 25 percent.
A Stage Two Drought Level does the following:
* All Stage One Drought Level measures remain in place; except where more restrictive conditions are imposed
* Increases water waste patrols beyond Stage One levels to ensure water is being used efficiently and leaks in residential and commercial properties are repaired per the Roseville Municipal Code
* Requires all city water users to reduce their water use by 20 percent
* Nonresidential users shall reduce irrigation by 30 percent for existing landscaping
* Washing of vehicles or boats is prohibited except when using a hose that is equipped with a control nozzle capable of completely shutting off the flow of water; or when washed in either an automatic or manual commercial car wash. This exemption does not apply to temporary car washes, held for fundraising purposes, or to any car wash in which the water is applied via a hand held garden type (non-pressure) hose.
The city will continue to evaluate water supplies and the level of Folsom Reservoir over the next few weeks and take further action as needed. The city is working with neighboring water agencies to evaluate available water supplies that may be accessible to help mitigate the shortage. If the lake level does remain low, it could affect the city's ability to access those water supplies, including water transfers from neighboring water agencies.
Once final water supply allocation and lake level data comes from USBR, the city will be mailing letters to all customers in Roseville regarding the drought-stage requirements. The city will also increase waterwaste patrols and other enforcement, which could include monetary penalties for non-compliance with the new conservation requirements.
"We need our customers to significantly curtail or eliminate all outdoor irrigation over the next couple of months to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and conserve as much water as possible," said Whitehead.
Residents and businesses looking to take immediate action to reduce their water use are encouraged to call 774-5761 or go to www.roseville.ca.us/savewater to learn more about the free water-saving programs and rebates the city has to offer.
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