State indicates Vallecitos’ water conservation target will be reduced to sixteen percent due to desalinated water connection
The State Water Resources Control Board (State) posted draft adjusted water conservation standards which show the Vallecitos Water District (Vallecitos) will now have a water conservation target of 16 percent. Previously, the State mandated a 24 percent reduction in potable water use for Vallecitos from 2013 demands. The eight percent reduction is based on the fact that Vallecitos now receives up to 4,083 acre feet of desalinated water annually from the Claude “Bud” Lewis Desalination Plant. Vallecitos is currently the only retail water provider that has a direct connection to the Desalination Plant.
Desalinated water is now a major component of Vallecitos’ water portfolio, further minimizing the District’s reliance on imported water and providing customers an increased level of reliability despite drought and other regulatory issues. It now makes up 27 percent of the District’s annual supply and is enough water to meet the needs of more than 8,100 families for one year.
