Bolinas Community Public Utility District  

Water Conservation

COMMUNITY UPDATE ON WATER RATIONING

March 20, 2009

At its regular meeting on March 18, 2009, the BCPUD Board of Directors passed Resolution 576, which amends Resolution 575 and rescinds its provisions imposing mandatory rationing of 20 cubic feet (or 150 gallons) of water per service connection per day.  Resolution 576 encourages continued voluntary conservation efforts and directs staff to develop a water conservation and dry year water use reduction program for the Board’s discussion and enactment at its regularly scheduled meeting on April 22, 2009.  Resolution 576 provides that this program should include provisions defining foreseeable circumstances in which the district will re-establish mandatory use restrictions (i.e., rationing) so that our customers have a clear articulation of the circumstances that will trigger water rationing and so that the district reduces and/or eliminates the need to take such action on an ad hoc basis.  Resolution 576 provides that staff should specifically consider the inclusion in this program of circumstances in which the district is unable to produce sufficient water to meet demand for seven (7) or more consecutive days. 

Unfortunately, despite the recent rains that have filled our reservoirs and helped recharge our primary water source, the Arroyo Hondo Creek, we have received only about 2/3 of our normal rainfall.  Given that this is the third consecutive year of less-than-normal rainfall, the BCPUD remains concerned that the district may experience an early drop in creek flows this spring, which will then require us to turn to our emergency reservoir water supplies prior to the fall months.  In the event this occurs, particularly given the anticipated high fire danger for the upcoming summer and fall months, it may be necessary for the BCPUD to reinstitute mandatory water rationing to ensure adequate supplies until the rains return at the end of the year.

In the meantime, the BCPUD extends its sincere appreciation to you, our community members, who have been nothing short of extraordinary in your efforts to comply with Resolution 575’s rationing requirements.  In fact, the community’s compliance with Resolution 575’s prohibition of the use of more than 150 gallons per service connection per day exceeded 98%!  The district has received dozens of reports from residents who learned how to read their own meters to ensure they were complying with the ration amounts and then discovered leaks in their plumbing; from others who were motivated and/or financially able to replace their old toilets or washing machines with low-flow appliances; and from still others who have purchased large water tanks and installed catchment systems to capture rainwater for their landscape irrigation needs.  Thank you, Bolinas, for all of your hard work – we all benefit from the permanent reduction in water consumption that our system will experience as a result of your conservation efforts.

We will continue to keep you updated with news of our water supply throughout 2009.  If you would like to receive updates via e-mail, please either call or office at 868-1224 or e-mail us at bcpud@bcpud.org with your e-mail address.  Thank you!!