OUR TOP STORY ON MIDDAY EDITION. WE HAVE ENTERED UNCHARTED TERRITORY. THAT WAS THE PHRASE USED REPEATEDLY YESTERDAY AS GOVERNOR. JERRY BROWN ANNOUNCED THE FIRST EVER STATEWIDE MANDATORY WATER RESTRICTIONS. BROWN HAS ORDERED THAT OVERALL STATE WATER USE BE CUT BACK BY 25%. FOUR YEARS OF DROUGHT, VIRTUALLY NONEXISTENT SNOWPACK, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE DRY YEARS AHEAD HAVE PROMPTED CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS TO SERIOUSLY EXAMINE HOW WATER RESOURCES ARE BEING USED BY COUNTIES AND CITIES, BY BUSINESS, AND BY RESIDENTS. JOINING ME TO DISCUSS HOW THE STATE MANDATORY CUTBACKS MAY AFFECT SAN DIEGO ARE HALLA RAZAK DIRECTOR OF THE CITY DANNY ROSE PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT. WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW. RIGHT TO BE HERE. AND STEPHEN HEVERLY IS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE EQUINOX CTR., SAN DIEGO NONPROFIT RESEARCH ORGANIZATION. WELCOME TO SMACK THANK YOU. HALLA RAZAK, MAYOR KEVIN FAULKNER SAID CITY STAFF STARTED WORKING AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO DETERMINE WHAT SAN DIEGO'S NEXT STEPS MIGHT BE. WHAT DO YOU KNOW SO FAR ? WELL, I RECEIVED THE EXECUTIVE ORDER, A COPY OF IT JUST LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE DID TO THE PRESS RELEASE. I READ IT CAREFULLY AND IMMEDIATELY CONVENED STAFF TO START FIGURING OUT WHAT EXACTLY THIS MEANS FOR SAN DIEGO. AS YOU KNOW, MAUREEN, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD AT INSTILLING THE CONSERVATION ETHICS WITHIN THE RESIDENCE OF BUSINESSES WITHIN SAN DIEGO. OUR WATER USES 2007 HAS GONE DOWN 18% YEAR-TO-YEAR. WE ARE REALLY HAPPY AND PROUD ABOUT THAT. BUT, AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT TIME. AND WE AS CITY AND DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT WILL BE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR AND MAKE SURE THAT WE AS A STATE CAN WEATHER THE STORM PROPERLY. REMIND US WHAT MANDATORY CONSERVATION MEMBERS -- MEASURES ARE IN EFFECT ALREADY IN SAN DIEGO. YES, WE ARE AT THE DROUGHT ALERT CONDITION NOW. WHICH IS THE SECOND LEVEL OF THE MANDATORY MEASURE -- MEASUREMENTS WE HAVE. SO RESIDENTS CAN ONLY IRRIGATE THREE TIMES PER WEEK AND NO MORE THAN SEVEN MINUTES PER STATION. AND IT DEPENDS ON YOUR ADDRESS AS TO WHICH DAYS OF THE WEEK YOU ARE ABLE TO DO THAT. ALSO, FOLKS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO JUST SERVE WATER AT RESTAURANTS UNLESS BEING ASKED. SAME THING IN HOTELS. THE LAUNDERING OF TOWELS AND SHEETS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS EVERY DAY. FOLKS GET THE OPTION OF SAYING THAT IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE LAUNDERED. FOUNTAINS CAN ONLY BE OPERATED WITH RECIRCULATION OF WATER AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS ENOUGH WATER TO GO AROUND SPECIFICALLY NO WATER CAN BE FLOWING OUT IN THE STREET WITH IRRIGATION, MAKING SURE THAT THAT IS -- FOLKS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CLEAN THEIR WATER -- I'M SORRY, CLEAN THEIR CARS AND HAVE WATER RUNNING INTO THE STREET. SO THESE ARE THE KINDS OF WATER RESTRICTIONS I THINK SAN DIEGANS ARE PRETTY USED TO. WE HAVE HAD THE KIND OF RESTRICTIONS ON THE NUMBER OF DAYS YOU CAN WATER AND SO FORTH. FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. I WANT TO GO THROUGH A COUPLE OF THE MANDATES THAT ARE COMING DOWN FROM SACRAMENTO FROM THE GOVERNOR HIMSELF. THAT ARE NOT AS FAMILIAR. THE GOVERNORS ORDER REQUIRES CAMPUSES, GOLF COURSES, CEMETERIES, OTHER LARGE WATER USERS TO HE SAYS SIGNIFICANTLY CUT BACK WATER USE. HOW WILL THE CITY MONITOR THAT ? WE AS A MATTER FACT MONITOR THE LARGE WATER USERS VERY CAREFULLY. THE MAYOR IS PLANNING A MEETING EVEN BEFORE THIS ORDER WAS ISSUED WITH THE LARGEST WATER USERS THIS COMING WEEK TO ALERT THEM TO THE WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS AND TO HAVE A DIALOGUE ON WHAT EXACTLY HAVE THEY DONE SO FAR AND HOW CAN THE CITY ASSIST THEM INTO DOING EVEN MORE AND SAVING WATER. SO WE KEEP TRACK OF THE WATER USE. WE SEE HOW WELL THEY DO FROM ONE YEAR TO THE OTHER. AND WE WILL DEFINITELY BE TALKING TO THEM A LOT MORE ABOUT CUTTING THEIR WATER USE EVEN FURTHER. WHAT IS A SIGNIFICANT CUTBACK DO YOU THINK? IS A 25% ? WELL, THE GOVERNORS ASKING FOR 25% PERIOD ALSO, PART OF THE ORDER IS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE CURRENT USE FOR CAPITAL. SO SAN DIEGO AS I MENTIONED EARLIER SINCE 2007 UNTIL NOW HAVE BROUGHT WATER USE. SO HOPEFULLY THAT CUTBACK WILL BE LOWER ON US. THIS WILL ALL BE DETERMINED IN THE COMING FEW WEEKS. THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER ALSO BANS CITIES FROM WATERING GRASS ON PUBLIC MEDIANS. HOW WILL SAN DIEGO COMPLY WITH THAT ? WELL, A LOT OF THE MEDIANS THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE ALREADY HAD THE PIPING TO THEM WITH RECYCLED WATER. SO IT IS NOT POTABLE WATER. BUT FOR THE MEDIANS THAT WE ARE USING POTABLE WATER, THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE WATERED SO YOU WILL SHUT OFF THE PIPES SO TO SPEAK ? WE HAVE NOT MADE THESE DECISIONS AS OF YET BUT WE WERE LOOKING AT IT AND SEEING WHAT OPTIONS WE MAY HAVE. ONE OF THE OPTIONS MIGHT BE SEEING IF WE CAN TRANSPORT SOME OF THE RECYCLED WATER INTO SOME IRRIGATING WE WILL HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT. AND BEFORE I GET TO STEPHEN, ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU, HALLA. BEFORE THE STATE CUTBACK WENT INTO EFFECT, WHERE THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO OFFICIALS CONTENT WITH HOW MUCH SAN DIEGANS WERE CONSERVING ? YOU KNOW, WE DID EXTREMELY WELL. I WOULD SAY LATE LAST YEAR. THE MAYOR UNVEILED THE WASTE NO WATER AT FOR ANDROID AND iPHONE. THE USE OF THIS AT -- A PP WAS REALLY HIGH. THE WATER USE WAS LOWER. THE RAINS THAT WE HAD IN DECEMBER I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE SAID THANK GOD ALL IS WELL DROUGHT IS OVER. AND WATER USE STARTED CREEPING UP A LITTLE BIT. WE HAVE INCREASED OUR OUTREACH TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT WE ARE IN A VERY SERIOUS DROUGHT. SO I BELIEVE NOW WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE DOING MORE AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS REDUCING THEIR WATER USE TO COMPLY WITH THE ORDER THAT WE HAVE. NOW, STEPHAN HEAVILY OF THE EQUINOX CENTER. -- NOW, STEPHEN HEVERLY THE PAPER RAN ALONG MILLS. AS TRANSIT -- HALLA MENTIONED, 2007 COMPARED TO CURRENT USE IS LOOKING GOOD BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT JUST THE LAST FEW YEARS WHERE IF WE ARE LOOKING AT 2009 TWO 2014, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE COUNTYWIDE. SOME AGENCIES AND RESIDENTS HAS -- HAVE DONE WELL IN CONSERVING AND SAW USE GO DOWN BUT SOME AGENCIES OUT THERE HAVE GONE UP IN THOSE LAST FEW YEARS. WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CUTBACKS AND TALKING ABOUT GOLF COURSES, BUSINESSES, MEDIANS, THE BIGGEST BEAST OF THE PIE -- PIECE OF THE PIE IS RESIDENTIAL USE AND THAT COVERS 66% OF COUNTYWIDE WATER USE PERIOD I THINK THAT IS REALLY WHERE THE LOW HANGING FRUIT ARE WHEN IT COMES TO FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN GET THROUGH TOUGH TIMES OF DROUGHT. I WANT TO ASK MORE ABOUT THAT. FIRST, IT WAS NOTICEABLE THAT SOME OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS WERE SORT OF MIRRORED IN THE GOV.'S EXECUTIVE ORDER. ESPECIALLY THOSE ABOUT REPORTING WATER USAGE. WHY IS THAT SO IMPORTANT ? WELL, WHEN IT COMES TO ANYTHING THAT WE ARE MEASURING, WHETHER OUR BANK ACCOUNT OR CALORIE INTAKE, UNDERSTANDING HOW MUCH WE ARE USING IS IMPORTANT TO MANAGING IT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE PERIOD WHAT GETS MET -- MEASURED GETS MANAGED BETTER. WE FEEL THAT IS IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE MORE INFORMATION ON AGENCY WEBSITES, MAYBE THROUGH THE COUNTY OR THE LOCAL AGENCIES ABOUT HOW MUCH WE ARE USING COMPARING THAT TO MONTHS FOR BENCHMARK AND HOW MUCH WERE CONSERVING AS WELL. SO WE ALL HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE PAST THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE TO HIT THESE CONSERVATION GOALS. MORE ON THIS LOW HANGING FRUIT. THE IDEA THAT IT IS SOMETHING LIKE 65% OF THE WATER USE IN THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO IS RESIDENTIAL. AND MANY AGENCIES AS WELL AS THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO HAVE ALREADY HAD RESTRICTIONS ON OUTDOOR WATER USE WHERE MOST OF THAT WATER IS USED OUTDOOR. WHAT ELSE MIGHT WE BE ABLE TO DO ? WELL, THIS IS GOING BEYOND -- IF IT IS YELLOW, LET IT MELLOW. WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHERE IS THE OUTDOOR USE CAN WE FIND CUTBACKS. AND AMONG THAT 66% OF RESIDENTIAL USE, MORE THAN HALF OF IT GOES TO OUTDOOR IRRIGATION. AND YOU SEE THAT AS RAINFALL DECREASES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WATER USE INCREASES AMONG RESIDENTIAL AREAS. WHERE CAN WE FIGURE OUT WAYS TO HAVE RESIDENTS REDUCE THEIR LAWNS AND LANDSCAPING IRRIGATION. THAT POSSIBLY COMES FROM INCENTIVES AND REBATES. I KNOW THE CITY IS PROBABLY CLOSE TO BEING TAPPED OUT OF THEIR DROUGHT TOLERANT LANDSCAPING REBATES AND WE HAVE THOSE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL AND THE -- TO THE METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT. BUT BEYOND THOSE INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE WHO MAKE CHANGES IN THEIR LANDSCAPING, WE SHOULD REALLY HAVE SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE RATE STRUCTURES ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE IN DROUGHT TIMES LIKE WHERE WE ARE. WHEN IT COMES TO ENFORCEMENT, HALLA, HOW DO YOU THINK CITY WILL CRACKDOWN ON WATER WASTERS ? WE HAVE A STAFF THAT LOOK AT ANY COMPLAINTS THAT WE GET AND MAKE THE PROPER INVESTIGATION AND TALK TO FOLKS AND SO ON. WE ARE GOING TO BE RAMPING THAT UP QUITE A BIT. WE WILL BE DOING QUITE A BIT MORE ENFORCEMENT THAT IS PROACTIVE KICK SO WE WILL BE HAVING PEOPLE OUT THERE LOOKING AND SEEING IF THERE ARE WAYS -- WATER WASTE VIOLATIONS. AND DEPENDING ON WHAT WE FIND, WE WILL BE MAKING SURE THAT THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SIGNS IF FOLKS ARE NOT FOLLOWING WHAT THE RULES ARE. DO HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO ENFORCE ? I HAVE SOME STAFF. I WILL BE ASKING FOR MORE STAFF VERY SHORTLY. AS A MATTER FACT, I TALKED WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND WITH THE CITY FOLKS BECAUSE WE WILL NEED TO INCREASE WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING. STEPHEN -- AS HE MENTIONED, IT WAS A MAJOR PART OF THE GOVERNORS MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION PLAN WAS TO ORDER WATER AGENCIES TO IMPLEMENT TIERED WATER PRICING STRUCTURE. THAT IS OF COURSE TO CHARGE HIGHER RATES THE MORE WATER USED. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOUR OFFICE IS RECOMMENDING TO THE MAYOR OR THE COUNCIL ? WE, AS A MATTER FACT, HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THAT SYSTEM IN PLACE ALREADY. RIGHT NOW, OUR WATER RATE -- WE HAVE FOUR TEARS. THE MORE YOU USE, THE MORE EXPENSIVE THE WATER IS. WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT OTHER THINGS WE MIGHT BE DOING AS WE WILL PROBABLY BE HEADING TOWARDS MANDATORY WATER CUTBACKS, THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SOME FINES ASSOCIATED FOR INDIVIDUALS OR BUSINESSES THAT GO BEYOND THE WATER LIMIT THAT THEY HAVE. I SEE. AND DO WE KNOW, STEPHAN, HOW HIGH THOSE RATES HAVE TO BE IN ORDER TO REALLY GET PEOPLE TO CONSERVE? IF YOU ARE UNDER TIERED STRUCTURE LIKE THAT. REALLY, IT HAS TO HURT, RIGHT ? I GUESS THAT IS MAINLY THE MAIN POINT OF A STEEPLY TIERED RATE SYSTEM ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE DECENT ADVISING WATER WASTE AND REALLY NEEDS TO HIT WATER WASTERS, NOT NECESSARILY THOSE USING WATER, BUT IT IS AN ECONOMICS QUESTION AND WHEN YOU HIT PEOPLE IN THEIR POCKETS, IT IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN HAVING THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF THINGS. I THINK THAT IS WHERE THE RATES COME IN TO PLAY. BUT AGAIN, THERE IS A LOT OF REGULATIONS AND LAWS FOR GOVERNMENT AND HOW THEY CAN IMPLEMENT RATES. AND THERE'S A PROCESS THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH. SO IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, UNFORTUNATELY. BUT I THINK AS HALLA MENTIONED THEY ARE EXPLOIT OPPORTUNITIES. AND HALLA, AS A CITY CONTEMPLATE PERHAPS STIFFER MEASURES AND AS YOU WERE SAYING A CERTAIN TARGET AND CUTBACKS ON THAT TARGET THAT AMOUNT OF WATER THAT EACH ENTITY RESIDENTIAL OR BUSINESS MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE, YOU WOULDN'T ACTUALLY BE TALKING ABOUT CUTTING OFF THE WATER, WHAT YOU ? NO. NO. WE ARE NOT PLANNING TO CUT OFF WATER, OBVIOUSLY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT WE MANAGE THINGS PROPERLY AND THAT WE DO HAVE ENOUGH WATER FOR THE COMING YEARS. THAT IS THE WHOLE IDEA OF MANAGING THINGS AHEAD OF TIME. WE STILL HAVE WATER IN THE RESERVOIRS. AND WE ARE HOPING FOR A BETTER YEAR NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER. BECAUSE THE MORE YEARS WE HAVE WITH A BAD DROUGHT SITUATION, THE MORE NERVOUS WE ALL START GETTING. RIGHT NOW, THE PLAN IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE A PENALTY PRICING IF YOU EXCEED THE WATER USE THAT IS ALLOCATED TO YOUR BUSINESS. HOW DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO ACTUALLY CHANGE THE WAY THEY USE WATER IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THIS NEW REALITY OF MANDATORY WATER RESEARCH IS ? YOU KNOW, HERE IN SAN DIEGO, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING QUITE A BIT ABOUT MAKING CONSERVATION AND WASTING NO WATER A WAY OF LIFE IT BACK CONSERVATION ETHIC IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I HAVE TAUGHT MYSELF TO RESIDENTS WHO HAVE DONE AMAZING THINGS. EVERY DROP OF WATER THAT PEOPLE USE THE SHOWER, THEY COLLECT THAT AND THAT THEY USE IT TO IRRIGATE THE SHRUBS IN THE BACKYARD. THAT IS A GREAT WAY OF DOING IT. HAVING A GREAT SYSTEM. THERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU CAN INSTALL A GRAYWATER SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A PERMIT. IT IS SIMPLE. IT IS BASICALLY TAKING YOUR WASHING MACHINE WATER AFTER -- MOST IS REALLY IN GOOD SHAPE AND THEN DIRECTING THAT TO YOUR OUTSIDE IRRIGATION. THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS THAT PEOPLE CAN -- OR SEVERAL THINGS PEOPLE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY USE WATER WISELY. AND FOR MOST PEOPLE, THOUGH, STEPHAN, IT MIGHT JUST BE SIMPLY TAKING SHORTER SHOWERS AND NOT WATER IN YOUR LANDSCAPE QUITE AS OFTEN. JUST DOING THOSE SIMPLE THINGS, RIGHT ? YES. IN FACT THE LANDSCAPING PIECES ONE OF THE PIECES OF RESEARCH THAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST WHERE MORE THAN HALF OF RESIDENTIAL USE IS OUTDOOR AND WE HAVE FOUND THAT UP TO ONE QUARTER OF THAT CAN BE CUT AWAY JUST BY NOT OVER IRRIGATING YOUR LONG. SO LONG TO DON'T NEED AS MUCH WATER AS PEOPLE ARE GIVING TO THEM. SO I THINK THAT IS THE BIGGEST THING AS FAR AS BEHAVIORAL CHANGES. IT IS NOT GOING TO IMPACT ANYBODY'S QUALITY-OF-LIFE TO KEEP YOUR LAWN GREEN TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT IS GOING THERE. I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE BIG COMMUNICATIONS THAT NEEDS TO GO OUT AND I KNOW THAT LOCAL AGENCIES ARE DOING THAT. REALLY UNDERSTANDING HOW MUCH WATER YOU ARE -- HOW MUCH WATER YOUR LAWN NEEDS AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WILL SEE A BIG CHUNK OF WATER WHERE NO ONE FEELS THE IMPACTS. FAST THAT QUESTION TO YOU, HALLA. THE MAYOR SAID HE'S GOING TO BE MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT A NEW CITY WATER CONSERVATION EFFORTS. DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ? WE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT -- TO SEE WHEN THAT EXECUTIVE ORDER REALLY MEANS. I'M IN CONTINUOUS MUNICATION WITH PEOPLE SACRAMENT OF TO TRY AND FIGURE PIECES OUT SO WE ARE GATHERING THAT INFORMATION AND WHAT WE FEEL WE HAVE ENOUGH TO INFORM THE PUBLIC, THEN THAT WILL PROBABLY BE THE TIME. I'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH HALLA RAZAK, DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO'S PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT AND STEPHEN HEVERLY, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE EQUINOX CENTER. THANK YOU BOTH VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
San Diego's green oasis of lawns, parks and yards may soon be replaced with artificial turf, water resistant plants and brown landscape.
Four years of drought, a nearly nonexistent snow pack and the possibility of more dry years ahead prompted Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday to order mandatory water restrictions for the first time in the state's history. Brown ordered the California Water Resources Control Board to impose measures that would reduce the state’s water usage by 25 percent.
Brown’s announcement came after surveyors found the lowest snow level in the Sierra Nevada snowpack in 65 years of record-keeping.
Halla Razak, director of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department, said city staff is examining how to roll out the restrictions locally.
“I received the executive order, a copy of it, through the press release, and immediately told staff to look at what it means for San Diego,” Razak told KPBS Midday Edition on Thursday. “We as a city will be doing everything we can to support the governor.”
Razak said the city has already cut water use by 18 percent since 2007.
“Part of the (governor’s) order is they are going to be looking at the current use per capita,” Razak said. “Hopefully, that cutback (of 25 percent) will be lowered. This will all be determined in the coming weeks.”
Razak said the city will also increase its enforcement of water waste.
A report by Equinox Center, a San Diego-based nonprofit research group, showed that countywide water use rose from 2010 to 2014. Another report released by the center showed that 26 percent of residential water is lost by over-irrigating lawns and landscapes.
Stephen Heverly, managing director, said it’s recommending that public water agencies offer more information about how much water is being used in California.
“We feel that it’s important to include more information on agency websites about how much we’re using and how much we’re conserving as well, so we all have an understanding of what it takes to reach these conservation goals,” Heverly said.
The San Diego County Water Authority, a public agency that supplies water to the region including the city, imposed water restrictions last July. In a statement issued Wednesday, the agency’s chairman, Mark Weston, said it was reviewing Brown’s executive orders.
