Poway’s water use decreased by 36 percent in June when compared to June 2013, the baseline year established by the state. The state mandated 32 percent conservation for Poway.
Mayor Vaus said “Poway is blessed to have residents willing to stand shoulder to shoulder in the face of any challenge. That’s the Poway way. It’s in the DNA of not only our residents, but City staff as well.”
In April, Governor Brown issued an Executive Order requiring all Californians to reduce water use by 25 percent. To achieve this, the state set conservation targets based on per capita water use. Poway’s target is 32 percent. Each month, the state will compare Poway’s water use against the same month in 2013.
As a water consumer, the City is taking a number of actions to reduce the long-term need for water in its parks and facilities. Grass has been replaced with drought tolerant plants in parking lots. Weather based and “smart” irrigation controllers have been installed in City parks. City staff will be replacing 86,000 square feet of non-essential grass at 11 City facilities with mulch and dirt by the end of this month. Staff is close to finishing its evaluation of the next phase of turf replacement that will save even more water.
City staff is looking into the possibility of extending recycled water pipes down Community Road from the business park. The City is also evaluating capital projects and mobile equipment to reduce the City’s water use and help staff manage water quality more efficiently. Other concepts being explored are building a small recycled water plant in town and looking into using old wells in our parks.
The City is committed to continuously evaluating water use in parks and facilities as well as considering new ideas to help the entire community conserve water. For additional information about water conservation, please visit www.poway.org/waterconservation.
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