Modesto to help homeowners audit their water use
As Modesto faces further reductions in how much water it uses, the city wants to help residents learn how they can do their part.
It is starting a pilot program in which the city’s water conservation specialist will conduct water audits for the tens of thousands of single-family homes, duplexes and triplexes that use city water. It’s a voluntary program, and residents will have to request an audit.
Water conservation specialist Juan Tejeda will show customers how to read their meters and do the simple math to calculate how much water they use. He will point out the leak-detection indicator on their meter. The faster the indicator spins, the bigger the leak. Tejeda can’t help customers find the leak, but he will suggest the most likely culprits for them to check.
He will inspect sprinkler systems to ensure they are timed to work on the right days and times. He will check the sprinklers to make sure they are not wasting water by overwatering or letting water run into the gutter. Even the roughly 20 percent of residential customers who are not yet on water meters can request an audit.
The program focuses on Modesto’s residential customers because city officials say they comprise the vast majority of the city’s water customers and use most of the city’s water. But officials stressed that they expect all Modesto water customers to keep doing their part to conserve as California weathers its fourth year of a devastating drought.
Modesto also plans to reduce its municipal water use. Public Works Director Bill Sandhu and Operations Manager Kelly Gallagher said they expect to address the City Council in the coming weeks with options, including reducing watering at Modesto’s 75 parks, which have roughly 700 acres of lawns and other landscaping.
Water Systems Manager Dave Savidge said if Tejeda is flooded with requests for audits, Modesto will assign an additional city employee to help him.
The program is timed to officially start right after the City Council’s April 28 meeting. That’s when the council is expected to ramp up the city’s drought contingency plan, from stage one to stage two, though Tejeda will perform audits now, if requested. He can be reached at (209) 342-2262.
Stage two cuts the number of days residents can water lawns from three to two and imposes fines of as much as $500 for people who violate the restrictions. The restrictions and fines apply to all outdoor watering, including that done by apartments and businesses. The stage-two restrictions would take effect May 1, if adopted by the council.
But the restrictions may not save enough water to comply with Gov. Jerry Brown’s April 1 executive order that mandates a 25 percent statewide reduction in urban water use compared with 2013 use. The reduction is for potable – or drinkable – water.
The State Water Resources Control board has proposed using a tiered approach to achieve the 25 percent reduction, with different reduction mandates among communities. The more water a community uses, the bigger the reduction it faces.
The water board released a revision Saturday to these tiered reductions. Modesto now faces reducing its water use 36 percent, up from 35 percent in the board’s initial proposal.
Other Northern San Joaquin Valley cities that face 36 percent reductions include Oakdale and Ripon. Riverbank and Turlock face 32 percent reductions. The water board initially proposed all of these cities reduce their water use by 35 percent. Ceres and Patterson had been looking at 25 percent reductions but now face 28 percent reductions.
The water board is expected to vote on the proposal at its May 5-6 meeting, with the restrictions taking effect in June.
Modesto Utilities Director Larry Parlin said the city may have to adopt more stringent restrictions as soon as July if it has to reduce water use by 36 percent. Parlin said whether Modesto does so will be based on what the city’s water conservation efforts are for May and June.
The more stringent restrictions include a ban on all watering of lawns and landscaping except for the hand watering of trees, plants and bushes. Drip irrigation systems would be allowed.
Bee staff writer Kevin Valine can be reached at kvaline@modbee.com or (209) 578-2316.
HOW TO READ YOUR MODESTO WATER METER
Write down the numbers displayed on the part of your meter that looks like a car’s odometer, including the last two numbers shaded in black. Keep those numbers, and then an hour, a day or a week later, write down the numbers you see at those times. Subtract the first set of numbers from the second set. That’s how many cubic feet of water you have used over an hour, a day, a week or whatever period you pick. To convert cubic feet into gallons, multiple the number by 7.48.
AN EXAMPLE: On Monday, you checked your meter and wrote down the numbers 352125. Then on Sunday, you checked your meter and wrote down the new numbers: 352344. Subtract Monday’s numbers from Sunday’s. The result is 219 cubic feet. Multiple 219 by 7.48 to find the number of gallons you used over the seven days. The result is 1,638.12.
Source: City of Modesto
This story was originally published April 18, 2015 at 7:24 PM with the headline "Modesto to help homeowners audit their water use."