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Is an End in
Sight?
This spring, much of the snow
melt was absorbed by the very dry soil instead of flowing into
washes and rivers as runoff. Consequently, it will take several
years of above-normal precipitation in the upper regions of the
watersheds to relieve the current drought conditions. Because of
the current drought situation it is now more important than ever
to properly manage our water supplies and implement water
conservation practices.Yet, it is important that wise water
resource management and water conservation efforts become a part
of our lifestyle even during times of normal precipitation. |
Photo Courtesy of SRP
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Lake Mead Photo Courtesy of Southern Nevada
Water Authority
Drought
Contingency Plan
The City of Peoria adopted a
Drought Contingency Plan to establish procedures that will
reduce water demand during a drought. Four Water Use Restriction
Stages are outlined in the plan.
Water Use
Restriction Stages and Goals
 Stage
One - Water Watch: emphasizes education on the
drought, water supply, and water conservation. Residential,
commercial, and industrial customers are asked to voluntarily
reduce their water use by 5%, while a reduction of 5% is
mandatory for City of Peoria facilities.
 Stage
Two - Water Alert: Mandatory reduction of 10% by all
users.
 Stage
Three - Water Warning: Mandatory reduction of 15% by
all users.
 Stage
Four - Water Emergency: If implemented, a mandatory
reduction would be determined by the City Manager.
City Reduces
Water Use
Since Stage One - Water Watch was
invoked on July 1, 2003, the City of Peoria has reduced its
water use by 18%, which significantly exceeds the mandatory 5%
reduction. This substantial reduction was achieved through the
cooperation of many City departments, including Community
Services – Parks and Right-of-Way Maintenance. The Utilities
Department also reduced unaccounted for water to 6.2% by
implementing recommendations from a utility-wide water audit.
The Water Resource and
Conservation Division is also assisting with water use
monitoring. In fact, data indicate that Peoria’s gallons per
capita per day (GPCD) statistic, which indicates the average
number of gallons used by a consumer each day, decreased from
190 (1996 to 2002 average) to 175 (2003). |
