If that headline has you scratching your head, you are not alone. Many of us don’t know enough about how the El Toro Water District (ETWD) works, and assume that the best way to conserve water during the drought is to not water turf and landscape. In fact, not watering in certain areas of the Village actually wastes water.
ETWD owns and operates its own water reclamation plant with the capacity to process 3.7 MGD (millions of gallons per day). Efficient operation of the plant depends on this water returning to the community for irrigation and industrial uses. With limited storage capacity, any reclaimed water that doesn’t get used must be released into the ocean. If use of and demand for this large water volume decreases, that water ends up wasted.
With reclaimed water irrigation systems in gates 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, the Village is one of ETWD’s biggest users. Additionally, use of reclaimed water is not affected by most drought restrictions.
Conversely, gates 1, 2, 3, 4, 11 and 14 are currently irrigated with potable water. To date, ETWD has declared a Level 2 water shortage which calls for a voluntary 15% reduction in water usage. Usage within the district has declined and if it continues to do so the district does not anticipate the imminent need for moving to Level 3.
For more information you can listen to ETWD Board President Kathryn Freshley’s July 6 update on “This Day,” or visit the El Toro Water District sitio web.
Saving as much water as possible and following the ETWD’s Permanent Water Conservation Requirements is vital. Learning more can help prevent unintended outcomes. For more water-wise conversation tips, haga clic aquí. For more information on water conservation, haga clic aquí.
Para más noticias del Village, haga clic en la etiqueta “Qué pasa en el Village” a continuación.
