U.S. Water News Online
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- Water restrictions will likely be imposed this summer in Santa Cruz after what is shaping up to be the driest season since 1990.
"It's pretty ugly. We haven't seen the rainfall pattern we need to see," city Water Department director Bill Kocher said.
Total rainfall in the city since July 1, when the rain season begins, measures 22 inches, well below the normal average 37 inches of rain.
The city's 25,000 water customers could be forced to cut back on washing their cars and watering lawns if the skies don't open up in the next couple months, officials said.
Water flow from the Santa Cruz Mountains to the San Lorenzo River, the city's primary supply, is a fraction of what it should be. Only 16,700 acre feet of water has flowed into the river since October, while last year the water flow was 120,000 acre feet.
During summer, when water demand pushes 14 million gallons a day, outdoor water use is likely to be prohibited between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Kocher said.
To meet summer demands, the city is expected to rely on its reserve water supply at Loch Lomond dam. But the Water Department must continue to save water stored at Loch Lomond in case of another rain shortfall next winter, Kocher said.
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