(Photo: San Diego County Water officials and Mayor Jerry Sanders held a news conference Thursday to call on residents to reduce water consumption by 20 gallons a day, in the face of an expected dry summer. Ed Joyce/KPBS .)
Local officials want us to conserve water. The call for voluntary conservation comes as water agencies prepare for another dry year in 2008. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has details.
Record dry conditions in Southern California have water agencies and officials worried. They want to preserve stored reservoir water for next year, when forecasters predict the dry spell will continue. The San Diego County Water Authority wants each of us to reduce our water use by 20 gallons a day. Water Authority Board Chair Fern Steiner says there's enough water for this year.
Steiner: But 2008 will be extremely difficult if these conditions persist and we do nothing. That's why we need everyone to take on the 20-gallon challenge and save water now. Because another dry year means that we will be strained to and beyond our existing water supplies.
Some cities in the region say if voluntary conservation doesn't work, mandatory restrictions will be considered. Steiner does not expect such restrictions in San Diego this year. Next year depends on how much snow and rainfall Mother Nature brings. Ed Joyce, KPBS News.
