Seal Beach won’t have to reduce its water use as much as other cities will as a result of state-mandated water restrictions. Apparently the city’s conservation efforts have been successful. City Manager Jill Ingram told the City Council Monday, April 13, that Seal Beach had the fourth lowest water use rate per capita in the state.
Sean Crumby, director of Public Works, said the Water Resources Control Board would only require Seal Beach to reduce its water consumption by 10 percent, based on the volume of water used in 2013.
He said other cities would be required to reduce water use by as much as 35 percent.
The City Council will consider how to address the mandatory 10 percent water reduction later this month.
Crumby said city staff would update the City Council on how Seal Beach will meet state-mandated water use reductions on Monday, April 27.
In July 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency and asked the public to voluntarily reduce water use by 20 percent.
Crumby said that in August 2014, staff presented the council with plans for meeting that goal. Crumby said Seal Beach residents and business owners have done a “fantastic job” of conserving water. Crumby said the original order to reduce water use expired this year in March.
Then on April Fool’s Day, Wednesday, April 1, Gov. Brown issued an executive order requiring a statewide 25 percent decrease in water use.
“Today we are standing on dry grass where there should be 5 feet of snow. This historic drought demands unprecedented action,” Brown said.
“Therefore, I’m issuing an executive order mandating substantial water reductions across our state. As Californians, we must pull together and save water in every way possible,” he said.
Crumby said that the state water board extended the original order and added new requirements.
He said staff has been figuring out how Seal Beach can comply with the new requirements.
As this was happening, the water board created a tiered water reduction system and Seal Beach was among the communities that will only have to reduce its water use by 10 percent. Other cities will have to meet more severe water reduction goals. On Catalina Island, for example, the individual residents and businesses of City of Avalon may be required to reduce their water use by as much as 50 percent.
This is known as stage three water rationing. Catalina entered stage one in June 2013, based on water use for the previous year.
They went to stage two last summer.
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