Drought update

Governor Brown’s executive order (November 13, 2015) will continue emergency drought restrictions another year if drought conditions persist through January 2016.

This one’s a slam dunk. Plan for at least another year of limited outdoor watering and the bucket in the shower. It is a slam dunk for two reasons. Reason one is there is no way we will get enough rainfall in one month to relieve drought conditions. Reason two is that it will take at least a couple of years of above average rainfall to refill depleted groundwater levels.

What’s a Californian to do? Keep saving! By now, many of us have developed good habits like scraping food into the trash instead of rinsing dishes, and washing the car next week instead of this week. And we’ve still got water conservation programs to help you keep saving.

The toilet rebate program is still going on. If your home or business is older than 1992 and the toilet(s) are older high flow models, we’ll practically pay for your new toilet: $125 per toilet for 1.28 gallon per flush toilets (available at your local home improvement store), and $150 for the Niagara Stealth 0.8 gallon per flush toilet available locally at Henry’s Home for Less. Get the flyer/application at city hall and CSD offices, or on our website at http://tccwd.com/toilets/.

Is the cost of paying a plumber stopping you from replacing your old water wasting toilets? Think outside the box! A handyman can replace a toilet. In older neighborhoods, get a group of neighbors together and negotiate a price with a plumber to do a group install.

Low flow showerheads and bathroom faucet aerators are available at no cost at the TCCWD office, 22901 Banducci Road.

Start planning now to replace your lawn with low water use plants and receive a rebate of up to $2000. Details and rebate requirements are at http://www.saveourwaterrebates.com/turf-replacement-rebates.html. For more help come spring, we will be presenting the no cost workshop series, Landscapes for the Future, again. This 4-part workshop is specifically targeted to help homeowners replace their lawn and take advantage of the turf removal rebate.

In spring, we will be continuing the no-cost Irrigation Check-up. We’ll help you find leaks and other irrigation system inefficiencies and provide a site specific watering plan to keep your lawn green without wasting water.

And remember, the little things you do make a difference!