Irvine Ranch Water District
http://www.irwd.com/liquid-news/news-releases/archive/aggressive-water-conservation-efforts-reward-irwd-customers.html
Aggressive Water Conservation Efforts Reward IRWD Customers
Published Thursday, April 21, 2011
Contact: Shannon Reed, Public Affairs Manager
reeds@irwd.com, (949) 453-5500
Efficient Use of Water Translates Into Some of the Lowest Rates in Orange County
For two decades Irvine Ranch Water District has been a progressive leader in water conservation. We continue to refine and enhance our conservation practices, and customers participate in water efficiency efforts and effective use of recycled water all the time, not just during droughts or regulatory shortages.
“At IRWD we truly practice what we preach -- using water wisely and helping our customers to do the same is a way of life, day in and day out,” said IRWD Board Vice President, Mary Aileen Matheis.
During the late 1980s to early 1990s drought, IRWD set an aggressive tone to promote the efficient use of all water resources. This effort, which included intensive communication with the various customer groups and some of the first home water audit and ultra low flush toilet programs in the state, culminated in the adoption of an allocation-based conservation tiered rate structure by the IRWD Board of Directors in 1991.
The allocation based conservation rate structure, now synonymous with IRWD, has five specific tiers designed to promote the efficient use of water. This rate structure provides you with the water you need. It also provides customers with meaningful economic pricing signals as use increases. During the month, if water use exceeds the allocation, the cost of water will increase since IRWD will need to purchase more expensive sources of water, such as imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
IRWD’s allocation based conservation rate structure works. It is an effective tool to increase conservation and decrease the overuse of water. Between 1992 and 2005, the average landscape water use within IRWD decreased from 4.2 acre feet per acre per year to 1.9 acre feet per acre per year – a 61 percent reduction. From 2001 to 2006, irrigated area in the district increased 280 percent, but total landscape water use only increased 70 percent.
During the 1990s, IRWD initiated many innovative water conservation programs for its customers and has developed a comprehensive Conservation Business Plan. The plan includes a focused customer interface program that provides proactive outreach to high water use customers through customized monthly reporting as well as an innovative tactical incentives program. Continuous conservation outreach efforts have made a significant impact on customers. Today, IRWD residential use has dropped from 120 per person, per day to 90 per person, per day, a reduction of 25 percent. The tactical incentive program provides substantially increased rebate amounts to residential and commercial customers to encourage them to upgrade to the latest water-efficient devices, such as high efficiency clothes washers. The water savings realized by these devices more than covers the cost of the increased rebates. Information on current rebates is available at www.alwayswatersmart.com
Always Water Smart is IRWD’s conservation program for all of our customers…residential, commercial and landscape. It’s easier than you think to do more with less water – and we’re here to help. Visit www.alwayswatersmart.com to learn to use water in more environmentally aware and less wasteful ways. Always Water Smart is a resource for all things water efficient...tips, tools, rebates, information on events, webinars and workshops, free water-wise devices for your home, great water smart garden ideas and much more.
Furthering the conservation ethic, IRWD is a leader in water use efficiency public policy leadership. A few of our legislative efforts include:
- Weather-Based Irrigation Technology: In 2007, IRWD successfully sponsored AB 566 (Plescia) to develop and enhance existing technology providing weather based data for optimal irrigation schedules. This bill helped to expand the use of “smart irrigation timers,” across the state; saving not only precious water resources but also reducing urban runoff which pollutes our waterways.
- Conservation Rate Structures: In 2008, IRWD successfully sponsored AB 2882 (Wolk) which laid the groundwork for more agencies to voluntarily implement budget-based conservation rate structures. Budget-based conservation rate structures provide customers with economic incentives for efficient water usage and in turn, effectively reduce water consumption.
- Statewide Conservation Policy: IRWD was instrumental in developing the conservation portions of the Delta / Water Legislative Package passed by the California Legislature in 2009. The strong and fair statewide water conservation policy established in the package will move California toward meeting Governor Schwarzenegger’s goal of a 20% reduction in statewide urban per capita water use by 2020.
For more than a decade, IRWD's water conservation department has partnered with local, regional and state agencies to conduct research studies in landscape irrigation, irrigation controllers, and runoff reduction. Studies include:
- Commercial ET-Based Irrigation Controller Water Savings Study
- Residential Runoff Reduction Study
- Residential Weather-based Irrigation Controllers
- System Pressure Reduction
- Supermarket Cooling Study
- Converting X-Ray Machines from Water Pass-Through to Re-Circulating
- Synthetic Turf
Synthetic Turf
The Final Status Report of the Central Orange County Turf Replacement Project was a collaborative effort by IRWD and the Cities of Irvine, Lake Forest, Newport Beach and Tustin. This demonstration project, begun Fall 2005 and completed Spring 2006, replaced select plots of live grass with synthetic turf.
In addition to the water savings resulting from these installations, the demonstration sites require no fertilizers, no pesticides and no mowing, while cutting down on the amount of green waste, like grass clippings, going into landfills. Public response to the demonstration sites in each city has been favorable.
IRWD and our customers have always understood that smart water use needs to be our way of life in Southern California, in wet and drought years alike. We are committed to providing you with the most cutting-edge water use efficiency programs. Over the decades we've worked together to become even wiser about using water. We encourage our customers – as well as our partners, vendors, suppliers, and employees – to use water wisely. Save Water, Save Money ~ Be Always Water Smart.
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