Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, announced that all customers of the Marina del Rey Water System will be required to reduce their water usage by 15 percent, effective July 2009. Based on a number of factors that have significantly reduced the water supply available to Southern California, West Basin Municipal Water District, a wholesale water supplier, will reduce the amount of water it provides to the Marina del Rey Water System by 15 percent.
"This means that all the customers in Marina del Rey will have to do their part to manage with limited water," said Supervisor Knabe. "The substantial surcharges for excessive usage will have to be passed through to those customers who do not cut back by 15 percent."
Both 2007 and 2008 were record-breaking dry years in California with very little rainfall. This required water agencies throughout the State to draw down the water stored in reservoirs to meet customer demand. In addition, a Court decision to prohibit pumping water from the Sacramento Delta to protect an endangered species of fish reduced available water supplies even further. In June 2008 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a drought and Supervisor Knabe introduced a motion to take immediate steps to conserve water in Los Angeles County.
"Although the measures the County has already taken have produced good results, the situation continues to worsen," said Supervisor Knabe. "Reduced supplies and increased costs are going to be a fact of life this summer at least."
"Now is the time for customers to take advantage of our free conservation programs," said Melinda Barrett, Water Conservation Manager for the Marina del Rey Water System. "We offer on-site water-use evaluations and rebates for water-saving devices that can make it easier for customers to stay within their target."
The cutbacks will require customers to use no more than 85 percent of the water used during previous billing periods or face surcharges. The charges are 2 times the normal rate on water used up to 15 percent over the target and 3 times the normal rate for any water used beyond that. If the water situation worsens, the Marina del Rey Water System could advance to a Phase III Shortage, which would require customers to reduce by 20 percent.
The Marina del Rey Water System is operated by the County of Los Angeles Waterworks Districts and serves all customers in the Marina. For more information about the water restrictions or to find out about conservation programs, call Melinda Barrett, Water Conservation Manager at (626) 300-3362 or visit
www.lacwaterworks.org