Update on Drought Conditions Presentation to Waterford City Council August 7, 2014

A drought is a period of unusually persistent dry weather that persists long enough to cause serious problems such as crop damage and/or water supply shortages. The severity of the drought depends upon the degree of moisture deficiency, the duration, and the size and location of the affected area.  For the continental U.S., the most extensive U.S. drought occurred from 1933 to 1938, the "Dust Bowl" period.  Because of their widespread occurrence, droughts often produce economic impacts exceeding $1 billion. The costliest drought on record was the 1988 drought, which devastated crops in the Corn Belt, causing direct crop losses of $15 billion and much larger additional indirect economic impacts.  There is nothing we can do to prevent droughts since they result from long-term shifts in storm tracks away from the affected region, or persistent wind patterns that reduce the flow of moisture into a region.  Many times, "blocking weather patterns" that feature persistent, stationary high-pressure regions over an affected area are observed with droughts. * Source- US Department of the Interior-Bureau of Reclamation What is Drought?

Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) Devised in 1965, it uses temperature and precipitation data to calculate water supply and demand, incorporates soil moisture, and is considered most effective for unirrigated cropland. Drought Monitor Intensity (Current) D4-Exceptional

 Third Consecutive Dry Year Leads to Drought Emergency  DWR conducted the first snow survey of the year on Jan. 3 and officials measured the snowpack's statewide water content at about 20 percent of average for this time of year. According to DWR, the readings this month and in 2012 are the driest on record. Calendar year 2013 closed as the driest year in recorded history for many areas of California, and current conditions suggest no change in sight for  Governor Brown declared a drought state of emergency on Jan. 17 and urged Californians to reduce their water use by 20%. The governor directed consumers to the Save Our Water program ( to learn ways to reduce household water use, indoor and outdoor. How did we get here?

 Households and non-farm businesses account for about 20% of water use in California.  Most farming depends on irrigation, which usually accounts for about 80% of water use.  An acre foot of water is about 326,000 gallons. An acre of almonds requires about 3 acre feet of water (978,000 gallons) to produce.  River Pointe customers have used about 211 acre feet of water annually over the last 3 years. (Enough water to irrigate about 70 acres of almonds).  Landscaping accounts for about half the water Californians use at home. Showers account for another 18 percent, while toilets use about 20 percent.  So far, the total statewide economic cost of the 2014 drought is $2.2 billion.  The drought is likely to continue through 2015, regardless of El Niño conditions. Water/Drought Trivia

River Pointe Water System

 The River Pointe water system is supplied by one groundwater treatment plant and two 1,000 gallon per minute (gpm) wells.  Well #1 is located remotely and pumps through a dedicated line to the treatment plant. It’s depth is 382ft. Well #2 is located at the treatment plant site. It’s depth is 420ft.  An Emergency Standby generator is supplied at the treatment plant well site. (Well #2).  Both groundwater wells are treated for iron and manganese by oxidizing these constituents using a green sand process and are filtered through a horizontal pressure filter.  The treated water is stored in two 100,000 gallon reservoirs and boosted into the distribution system by two 1,000 gpm and one 500 gpm booster pumps. Pressure regulation from a hydro-pneumatic pressure tank assists in the water delivery process.  The current daily average usage per River Pointe customer is 267 gpd. The average use per person statewide is 196 gpd.  Current reported population served is 1023 consumers. There are 311 active water accounts.  City assumed operation of the system in 2005.

Help! Save Water!

What can I do?

 Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.  Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap.  If you accidentally drop ice cubes, don’t throw them in the sink. Drop them in a house plant instead.  Fill the bathtub halfway or less.  When running a bath, plug the bathtub before turning on the water. Adjust the temperature as the tub fills.  Turn water off when brushing teeth or shaving. Plug the sink instead of running the water to rinse your razor.  Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak.  When washing your hands, turn the water off while you lather. Conservation Indoors

 Water early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are cooler. Save: 25 gallons/each time you water  Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street. Save: gallons/each time you water  Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants to reduce evaporation and keep the soil cool. Organic mulch also improves the soil and prevents weeds. Save: gallons/each time you water.  Don’t Overwater! One easy way to cut down how much water you use outdoors is to learn how much water your landscaping actually needs in order to thrive.  Use a broom to clean driveways, sidewalks and patios. Save: 8-18 gallons /minute.  Wash cars/boats with a bucket, sponge, and hose with self- closing nozzle. Save: 8-18 gallons/minute. Conservation Outdoors

General Information:  Governor Brown’s Drought Page: ca.gov/droughtca.gov/drought  Save Our Water: saveourh2o.orgsaveourh2o.org  DWR’s drought website: water.ca.gov/waterconditionswater.ca.gov/waterconditions  California Office of Emergency Services: calema.ca.govcalema.ca.gov  Bureau of Reclamation usbr.gov/mp/droughtusbr.gov/mp/drought  Association of California Water Agencies: acwa.com/content/2014-drought-watch acwa.com/content/2014-drought-watch Data and Maps:  DWR’s California Data Exchange Center (CDEC)’s Drought Information Summary: cdec.water.ca.gov  DWR’s Groundwater Info Center water.ca.gov/groundwaterwater.ca.gov/groundwater Local Information:  City Website: cityofwaterford.orgcityofwaterford.org  Stanislaus County OES: stanoes.comstanoes.com Resources-Drought Information