Monday Q&A: Utilities director discusses Modesto’s water situation

Utilities Director Larry Parlin probably oversees Modesto’s most important department as California weathers a fourth year of a dismal drought. His department is responsible for making sure the city’s homeowners, businesses, schools and everyone else have water.

His department’s job just got tougher after the State Water Resources Control Board decided last week that Modesto must reduce its water consumption by 36 percent. This is part of California’s effort to reduce urban water use by 25 percent statewide, and the board instituted differing reduction levels among the cities based on how much water they use per capita. The reduction is for drinkable water and is based on 2013 levels.

The Modesto Bee recently spoke with Parlin about how Modesto is coping with the drought.

Q: Modesto gets its drinking water from the Tuolumne River and roughly 100 groundwater wells. So how is the city’s water supply holding up?

A: The Modesto Irrigation District has reduced our allocation of surface water again this year. However, the groundwater levels remain stable. If we achieve close to the mandated 36 percent reduction the state is requiring, that will make up for the reduction in surface water and help prevent the overpumping of groundwater. The groundwater supply has remained stable since Modesto started using surface water (in 1995) and it appears that Modesto is in relatively good shape compared to other local urban water systems that rely exclusively on wells.

Q: How well is Modesto doing conserving water in light of the state reporting that the city’s water use was up 8 percent in March compared to March 2013?

A: Overall, Modesto is doing well, even though water use was up 8 percent in March. For the first three months of 2015, use was down 12.5 percent over 2013. Now that the stage 2 drought contingency plan has been implemented, we are hopeful for a large reduction in water use because we have a long way to go to meet the state-mandated reduction of 36 percent. (Modesto’s stage 2 restrictions took effect May 1 and reduce the number of days for outdoor watering from three to two. Go to www.modestogov.com for more on the restrictions.)

Q: How likely is it that Modesto will tighten its water restrictions and ban outdoor watering, except for drip irrigation and the hand watering of trees, plants and bushes, to meet its state water-reduction mandate?

A: That is hard to say. However, the 36 percent mandated reduction will not be easy to achieve, and we need help from all our customers to avoid going to further restrictions. At this point, I would say it is more likely than not that we will have to take further action to conserve, but I hope our customers prove me wrong.

Q: How soon can we expect those tighter restrictions?

A: We will look at the results of conservation efforts for May and June, and if necessary, request that the City Council implement further restrictions in mid-July.

Q: What are some of the things Modesto is doing or considering to reduce its own water use?

A: Modesto will set the example for our water customers. We are eliminating landscaping on new projects and at existing city facilities where it can be done with minimum public impact. City parks and golf courses will reduce watering and folks may see browning of some areas. We will be using nonpotable (nondrinkable) water for irrigating some city trees and also in equipment such as street sweepers and sewer trucks, and at construction projects for dust control.

It should be noted that Modesto is almost complete with a project that will send most of our treated wastewater to the Delta-Mendota Canal for irrigation use by farmers in the Del Puerto Water District. This is a major recycled water project that benefits the city, the county and the overall local economy, and is exactly the type of project that will protect water supplies in the future.

Q: You have said the drought has meant less revenue for the city’s water system. How soon can customers expect to pay more and why can’t the city reduce its expenses?

A: We are always looking for ways to reduce expenses, but we have certain fixed costs that occur no matter how much water is produced. The price of water is rising primarily due to regulation, replacement of aging infrastructure, and shrinking supplies. These factors will continue to drive up water costs steadily in the future. Improvements in technology have allowed us to minimize increases to our customers, but we still must replace old pipes, build new storage tanks and finish installing water meters, all of which are expensive to do.

We are asking City Council to approve moving forward with a rate study to address the declining water sales revenue from increased conservation at its Tuesday meeting. Unfortunately for all of us, water prices will rise and continue to do so in the future. Modesto customers could expect to start paying more for water sometime next year.

Q: Will there be a new normal once the drought ends, and what will that look like for Modesto and the rest of California?

A: It appears that we are going through a fundamental change, and once the drought ends, things will likely remain different than we are all familiar with. You will probably see much of the state’s emergency regulations adopted permanently, and the price of water will rise. Large landscaped areas will likely downsize significantly, and you probably won’t see new houses built with lawns. The type of crops planted may change, and some farming may disappear in the most arid regions of the state.

This story was originally published May 10, 2015 at 8:20 PM with the headline "Monday Q&A: Utilities director discusses Modesto’s water situation."