A local water company official shared good, but guarded news with REALTORS® this month. He said area residents have made some progress conserving water, but it is necessary to continue to conserve. This is the fourth consecutive summer of historic drought. Even if the state gets more rainfall this year, it will not be enough to bring water levels up to where they should be.
"Based on system-wide averages, we've been doing better as people become aware of the seriousness of the drought," San Jose Water Company (SJWC) specialist Benjamin Pink told members of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®.
SJWC's service area includes the cities of San Jose (80%), Cupertino (50%), Campbell, Los Gatos, Saratoga and Monte Sereno. The company's wholesaler is Santa Clara Valley Water District. Water is derived from three primary sources – local surface and groundwater, the Sierra Nevada mountains snow-pack, and recycled highly treated wastewater. The groundwater bank, depleted 80,000 acre-feet in one year, poses serious concerns, since it cannot be replenished.
"When you start relying on groundwater, it's something you can't recover from," said Pink.
The urgency of the situation has gone from serious to critical, with officials first calling on residents to conserve to issuing mandatory conservation measures. In May, as required by the California Public Utilities Commission, the SJWC filed its Water Shortage Contingency Plan. The plan went into effect on June 15 and includes rules restricting certain outdoor use of water, a monthly allocation for residents using a system-wide residential average and 30 percent conservation target. If households go beyond their monthly allocation, they will be fined. The plan has resulted in accumulated savings for all, with a 35.17 percent in water reduction in June, compared with just 7.45 percent in March.
Pink mentioned a number of ways residents can conserve water. First and foremost, residents need to learn to read their water meter, which tells a household's water usage per day and possible leaks. SJWC does complimentary water audits and can check a home for leaks. The water company also gives out free aerators and high efficiency shower heads. Residents can avail of rebates if they undertake certain water conservation measures.
SJWC plans to expand its recycling system and add new pipeline alignments. Pink said the goal of the new Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center is to treat recycled water and make it potable. Plans to conduct a pilot program with 800 customers in a San Jose neighborhood are in the works.
Here are some conservation tips Pink gave REALTORS® to pass on to their clients:
No Cost, Easy to Do Indoor Tips for Residents and Savings
No Cost, Easy to Do Outdoor Tips for Residents and Savings
For one-stop drought information, visit https://www.sjwater.com/news/topic/comprehensive-drought-information.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.
For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.