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Why Water Conservation is so important, especially in California!

According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, California's population currently is 35.1 million, and is projected to hit 49.3 million by 2025. California's need for water continues to increase as our population grows. In its 1998 California Water Plan update, the state Department of Water Resources predicts a gap between water supply and demand ranging from 2.4 million acre-feet during normal years up to 6.2 million acre-feet in drought years by 2020. (An acre-foot of water is about 326,000 gallons) There is currently no consensus about how we will obtain this huge amount of extra water needed.

In addition to satisfying the needs of residential customers, we need more water to ensure the growth of our economy. Without an increase in reliable and high quality water supplies, the state's agricultural industry, businesses, manufacturers and developers cannot grow. California's climate fluctuates between drought and flood. Drought can devastate our state by forcing water rations, leaving fallowed farmland and lost jobs. While California is not currently experiencing drought, the reservoirs of the Colorado River are at a 30-year low. This may affect our state since California is dependent on the Colorado for a great deal of our water. Conservation is the most cost-effective solution to California's water scarcity and to protect our groundwater resources. (www.water-ed.org)

The County of Santa Cruz relies entirely on local sources such as the San Lorenzo River, Loch Lomond reservoir, and coastal streams and springs for our water. Conserving water not only helps protect our water supply, it also saves you money! Saving water also saves energy since heating water is the third largest energy expense in American households. The county offers several rebates when you purchase water saving devices for your home or business. Keep reading for tips on how to save water and money!

REBATES

The county offers rebates for efficient toilets, clothes washers, and shower heads. Here's why:

  • Toilets - Flushing the toilet accounts for the majority of water use in the typical home. Average toilets use 3-5 gallons of water per flush. Ultra-low flow toilets use only 1.6 gallons of water per flush therefore cutting your water consumption by 25%. (California has only sold low-flush toilets since 1994)

  • Clothes Washers - Conventional washers use 40-50 gallons of water for each load. New washers with the Energy Star label use only 20-25 gallons per load. The average household will save about 5,100 gallons of water a ($13 in water savings), $80-100 in electricity, and $54 in detergent over a year. ($147-167 a year in savings)

  • Low-Flow Shower Heads and Faucet Aerators. - Installing a low-flow shower head reduces the flow of water by 50%. Energy use and costs may also drop by as much as 50%, because it requires less energy to heat less water. A low-flow faucet aerator combines air with water as it comes out of the tap. An aerator can cut water consumption by 50%

  • City of Santa Cruz Water Conservation Office - The City offers some great tips on how to save water and also has information on their rebate programs, which are available to Santa Cruz Water Department customers.

  • Soquel Creek Water District - The District offers free water saving devices to customers. Stop by the District office at 5180 Soquel Drive to pick up the following water saving devices.

    • low-flow shower heads
    • low-flow faucet aerators
    • automatic shutoff hose nozzles
    • leak detection tablets
    • toilet displacement bags
    • five-minute shower timers
    • toilet tank fill diverters
    • outdoor water saving kits
    • toilet flappers

The district also offers rebate programs for ultra-low flow toilets ($75) and energy efficient clothes washers. Rebates are offered on a first-come first-serve basis.

For a table of what types of rebates or devices your water agency offers, see http://www.watersavingtips.org/Rebate%20programs.htm.

Water Saving Tips & Information