The Vallecitos Water District (Vallecitos) Board of Directors recently voted to adopt its 2010 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) – a document critical to providing a blueprint of future projects and programs Vallecitos and its wholesalers will implement to ensure water availability in the future. Adhering to California State Water Code Section 10610-10610.4, the UWMP features sections and tables to present projections on everything from water use per capita to water quality and recycling. Just as important, the document covers water demand management measures that will guide Vallecitos into compliance with SBX7-7, a state mandate requiring all urban retail water agencies to reduce water usage by 20 percent by 2020.
Due to an increased understanding of the value of water, Vallecitos customers implemented exceptional water conservation efforts during the recent drought and their usage often hovered near that 20 percent benchmark. With the end of the drought declaration, Vallecitos will continue to promote the importance of water conservation and utilize innovative outreach efforts to attain the 20 percent goal. Vallecitos has already started on the important path to lowering imported water demand regionally by upgrading its Meadowlark Water Reclamation Facility. By increasing recycled water output from 2.25 million gallons per day (mgd) to 5 mgd, a suitable alternate water source is available to impact outdoor water use, which accounts for 50 to 80 percent of water consumption within the District. With this increased capacity, Vallecitos can now recycle up to 74 percent of the wastewater generated in its service area. Moving forward and keeping in line with the UWMP, Vallecitos will seek to comply with SBX7-7 by continuing to explore alternate water sources, such as expanding reclaimed water usage and potentially receiving desalinated water from a facility to be constructed in Carlsbad.
Vallecitos will also continue to find unique ways to educate customers of the importance of conserving for the future, such as providing gift cards to customers with water-wise landscapes, hosting rain water harvesting workshops, and continuing to collaborate with the City of San Marcos on an educational program that features a nature center and conservation barn at Jack’s Pond Park in San Marcos. Vallecitos is also leading by example with a recently installed sustainable demonstration garden featuring the use of California native plants and rain barrels in front of its Administrative offices in San Marcos. To find out more information about the UWMP, compliance with SBX7-7 or conservation programs, contact Vallecitos at (760) 744-0460. .
