WSAC Recommendations and Next Steps -- October 2015
Thursday, October 22, 2015
WSAC Recommendations and Next Steps
Conservation-- In addition to the existing conservation programs such as home and business evaluations, water saving rebates, water budgetts for large landscapes and free water-saving devices, the WSAC recommends looking at new programs, such as increased rebates and better management of peak season demand. The goal of additional programs is to further reduce demand by 200...
Report on the First Phase of WSAC's work: the Recon Report
This report is included in the packet for the January 27 Santa Cruz City Council meeting
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
The Recon Report provides an in-depth account of the process the Water Supply Advisory Committee went through during their first phase of work, AKA "Recon." Recon prepared WSAC members for the second and most critical phase of their work, where they will analyze water supply alternatives in depth and make recommendations to the Santa Cruz City Council.
The Water Supply Advisory Committee has created a new library to showcase the broad spectrum of information on water reuse. The library can be found by clicking here: http://www.santacruzwatersupply.com/document-library-folder/water-reuse The library will be added to, so please let us know if you have a suggestion for inclusion.
Review the proposals that were submitted for the Water Supply Convention
Friday, November 21, 2014
On October 16, the Water Supply Advisory Committee hosted "Our Water, Our Future: Santa Cruz Water Supply Convention" at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. Over fifty proposals were submitted by local community members. To view the proposals that were submitted, visit the link below and select the "Water Supply Alternatives Descriptions from Convention" folder.
Deadline to Review and Evaluate Water Proposals Extended!
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
You can still review and evaluate all the proposals that were submitted to the Water Supply Convention through the Civinomics online water supply workshop page. The deadline has been extended to November 11. Community feedback is important to this process! Please take some time to visit the Civinomics site at: https://civinomics.com/workshop/4VQV/santa-cruz-water-supply-convention .
Even ideas are being conserved as Santa Cruz continues its hunt for alternative water supply solutions.
Dozens turned out to the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium Thursday to browse through more than 45 different public projects geared toward increasing the city's available water supply. Ideas, presented science-fair style with poster boards, charts and projection screens, ran the gamut from low-cost public composting toilets to reviving...
Santa Cruz water rationing, fees to continue into fall
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Local residents have cut their water use beyond city expectation in the face of exceptional drought conditions statewide, officials say.
Even those water conservation efforts, however, have proved no match for the ongoing three-year drought and the third-driest year in Santa Cruz history, Water Department authorities said during Tuesday's Santa Cruz City Council meeting.
"The San Lorenzo River today and for the entire...
California drought: State residents cut water use 11.5 percent
San Jose Mercury News
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
After months of seeming indifference to the state's historic drought, Californians are finally getting the message and sharply cutting back on water use, according to new figures released Tuesday.
The state's urban residents reduced water use 11.5 percent in August compared with the previous August. Although still short of the 20 percent savings that Gov. Jerry Brown requested in January, the number is up...
Santa Cruz water director calls for rationing to continue
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Thursday, October 2, 2014
With high unlikeliness that Santa Cruz will receive enough precipitation in the coming year to escape the persistent drought, Water Director Rosemary Menard recommends extending residential rationing on a month-to-month basis.
The record-keeping year that ended Sept. 30 was one of the driest on record, with the city receiving just 13 inches of rainfall compared to the average of 31 inches. The city would...
Tuesday, the Santa Cruz City Council unanimously approved a five-year water rate increase and temporary drought-recovery fee designed to fund long-needed infrastructure improvements, grow reserves and replace revenue lost during mandated rationing.
Under Water Director Rosemary Menard's plan, the ready-to-serve charge and separate consumption charge paid will increase 10 percent in October and 10 percent each July for the next four years. Including the...
Flanked by 10 staff members Wednesday, Santa Cruz Water Director Rosemary Menard trumpeted the need for a proposed five-year rate increase and drought-recovery fee to a room packed largely with empty chairs.
Among the nine audience members, which included a City Council member and water director from a neighboring district, a few customers asked questions about the rate hike and the current status of...
