Water-wise customers get bonus days

Customers of South Coast Water District are doing a better job of conserving water than their Laguna Beach neighbors to the north.

The South Coast Board of Directors announced this week that customer participation in conservation efforts has been so successful that a three-day-a-week automated sprinkler system schedule will be extended through Jan. 30. Sprinkler use in the district is usually limited to one day a week from November to March during a Water Shortage Alert.

“Conservation patterns will be reevaluated in January and the district will determine if it is necessary to reduce the number of water days per week at that time,” said Linda Homscheid, district public information officer. “Residents and businesses will be notified.”

Laguna Beach County Water District customers aren’t doing quite as good a job of reducing water use voluntarily. Mayor Pro Tem Elizabeth Pearson announced at the Nov. 3 council meeting that district customers are exceeding the allotment supplied to the city.

An ordinance passed this year allows stricter measures.

The county district supplies water to 8,040 customers from Nyes Place to the city’s northern limits and to 550 customers in Emerald Bay.

South Coast provides water and sewer service to an estimated 43,000 residents and 1,000 businesses in Dana Point, South Laguna and areas of north San Clemente and north San Juan Capistrano.

The two districts have taken a different approach to reducing water use. The county district limits the use of sprinklers to before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m. South Coast allows sprinkler use from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. on specific days in specific areas:

 Residents east of Street of the Golden Lantern — Monday, Wednesday and Saturday;

 Residents west of Street of the Golden Lantern — Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday;

 Businesses and homeowners’ associations in all areas — Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

South Coast customers are required to turn off sprinklers during a rain storm, and the sprinkler systems must be timed and adjusted to prevent runoff. A residential watering day map and other information are available at www.scwd.org.

Both districts permit watering by hand on any day, at any time, using a hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle, or a bucket or similar container. Free automatic shut-off nozzles are offered by both districts.

However, many districts are considering giving each customer an allotment and letting them manage it.

“It is the wave of the future,” Homscheid said.

“We are certainly going in that direction. It takes a huge amount of research to determine the criteria for each customer’s indoor and outdoor water use, but it may be up and running within two or three years.”

The Orange County Municipal Water District supports it and the Orange County Grand Jury encouraged the customer-managed system, Homscheid said.

South Coast Water District customers can call 949-499-4555, ext. 1 or visit [email protected].

Laguna Beach County district customers can call (949) 494-1041 or visit www.lbcwd.org.

The district is also planning to make personnel available at Laguna’s Farmer’s Market in the parking lot adjacent to City Hall to answer questions. The district representatives will also provide conservation products such as the shut-off hose nozzles, leak detectors, shower timers and packets of California Wildflower seeds. Check the events calendar for dates and times.