Water savings drop in Modesto

Modesto homeowners may be able to water their lawns only once a week if the city does not see an increase in water savings.

Utilities Director Larry Parlin said that could happen if the city continues to fall further from meeting its state mandate to reduce water use 36 percent. Modesto reported this week that it reduced water use 28.9 percent in August after reductions of 32.4 percent in July and 34.1 percent in June.

The reductions are based on comparing a month with the same month in 2013 and come after Gov. Jerry Brown called for an overall reduction in urban water use of 25 percent to help California cope with a fourth year of drought. The state mandated differing reductions among cities to reach the 25 percent. Modesto is required to reduce water use 36 percent and has reduced it 31.1 percent since June.

Parlin said utilities staff could ask the City Council in October to reduce outdoor watering from two days a week to one if the trend of diminishing water savings continues in September.

Modesto reduced outdoor watering from three days a week to two in May. The watering restrictions apply to all water customers, including homes, apartment complexes, shopping centers and businesses.

City officials have said that in general water customers have done a good job but more is needed. Officials have said that drought fatigue, seeing lawns turn brown and the hope that a strong El Niño weather system will bring lots of winter rain to California may contribute to reduced water savings. Federal government forecasters have said a historic El Niño is shaping up, but there is no guarantee it will bring a wet winter.

Parlin said the city is continuing to get the word out on the need to conserve. For instance, he said, the city will talk to landscape companies that serve apartment complexes, shopping centers and other businesses to ensure they are following the city’s water restrictions.

Modesto also is reducing its water use. Park Operations Manager Kelly Gallagher said the city reduced watering at its 73 parks from two days a week to one day this week. He said the city typically reduces park watering in late summer but is doing it about two weeks earlier this year to save water.

This story was originally published September 4, 2015 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Water savings drop in Modesto."