Permanent water conservation rules for Californians "per person per" day

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dylanmitchell

dylanmitchell

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
124
Location
Southern California
What I want to know is how they're going to enforce the "per person per" day for indoor water use. Do they already know how many people are in my house or will they start tracking this? I'm actually surprised California doesn't have its own regs for washing machines like they do for toilets, faucets, and showers but glad they don't. And I'm sure no one has bought regular flow fixtures online or in Yuma...

The real solution besides conservation is recycled water. Or fewer people. Not sure what that would be in San Diego but I'm reading a book that suggests the sustainable population for Phoenix-based on natural resources is 25,000 and San Diego has more resources so say 100,000 or so which I know won't happen.

Two bills, AB 1668 and SB 606, set general guidelines for water agencies to follow in California's post-drought era. Standards will be based on a formula that is made up of three main factors: an allowance of 55 gallons per person per day for indoor water use — dropping to 50 gallons by 2030; a yet-to-be determined amount for residential outdoor use that will vary depending on regional climates; and a standard for water loss due to leak rates in water system pipes.

Water agencies will be encouraged to have their customers limit indoor water use to an average of 55 gallons a day per person, declining to 50 gallons by 2030.

Most Californians have low flow toilets, low flow faucets, and have curtailed outdoor water usage. And with a high-efficiency front load washing machine vs be beloved TL SQ you'd be unlikely to have trouble meeting the new restrictions. Or you could just plumb your washer to water landscaping.

http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article212605634.html

www.mercurynews.com

Drought or no drought: Jerry Brown sets permanent water conservation rules for Californians

The governor signed two bills that require cities, water districts and large agricultural water districts to set annual water budgets, potentially facing fines of $1,000 per day if they don’t…
www.mercurynews.com www.mercurynews.com

 
Sounds like a perfect time for used appliance dealers in neighboring states to fill a couple U-Hauls with Whirlpool direct drives at pennies on the dollar.
 
I Record My Water Use Daily....

.....and my average daily use is 49 gallons per day. That is with FULL FLOW shower head, 30 year-old top load washing machine and 20 year-old dishwasher.

I have no lawn to water - just container plants outside in the back yard.
Dishwasher is run once a week on "normal" cycle.
Average 2 loads of washing per week.
Shower (GASP!) only twice a week.
I save water in a bucket in the bathtub while waiting for the hot water to get from garage to upstairs bathroom.
I flush the toilet only once a day (unless...) and one flush is accomplished with the bucket of water.

I do wash my own cars (2) once every 3-4 months using a shut-off nozzle on the hose and bucket of soapy water.

Conservation is the "new normal" for California - and it's only going to get more stringent as time goes by.

Oh yes - for this LITTLE amount of water that I use the cost is $40 per month.
 
<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">The water company I deal with here in the Desert, Coachella Valley Water Distirct, gives you very detailed information concerning your present and past monthly water usage. In addition, you are given a rating, the top two being "Excellent" or "Efficient".  I always fall in these categories so give me at least half a gold star. I have a decent-sized lot with a medium-sized back lawn, very necessary for my 2 Springer Spaniels. At one time I had a very large front lawn now changed to desert landscaping courtesy for the most part of the water company and the State. It was pricey and I'm grateful. </span>

 

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">Even though I live alone, I still have 4 toilets, 2 tubs and 3 showers so I do try and conserve (I guess it's the number of people using this stuff that counts, not how many you have). I haven't used my dishwasher in 2 years (very few things to wash) and the Maytag big-tub Atlantis is no water saver. Hard to believe the new 2017 Speed Queens are still covered up in the garage...now going on 3 months or more. I suspect the washer will use about the same amount of water as the Maytag if it ever makes it to the laundry room...a scant 20 feet away. Dumb me!</span>
 
100 gallons per day

We have cut back our water usage but still use about 100 gallons a day per person in the winter. As far as I know there are no leaks. We have 2.5 gallons per minute shower heads, the new standard is 1.8. Our toilets are from the last Century but we do not always flush. Yes the Speed Queen is a top loader but we do not use the second rinse any more. Dishwasher is the Ultrawash which is not a real hog, newer ones will save a couple of gallons a day. During the Summer the usage really rises because we are in Sacramento and have a 1/3 acre lot. So far there is no strict guideline from the water company as to a limit on actual gallons. Yes, I did see the new law. I suppose that if they look at, for instance, the census, they will see two persons in this home. I may just tell them that I have several undocumented persons here also, and it is none of their business who they are.

We did adjust our habits to lower the usage to 100 gallons a day per person from about 200 gallons per day before. I really can't think of what more to cut out. I do use a fair amount to cook and clean up the pots and pans. We sometimes do take a couple of showers. Of course if we have a real drought we will cut back more. It may mean a new front loader, and new toilets. I just hope those toilets will move the waste through the 150' waste line to the main sewer. I will water at my 60 year old street trees, and maybe not much else. Agriculture uses the most water in the state. We need the food, of course, but they could cut back and let us residents have a little more.
 
I try conserving water

anyway. It's still expensive even here now. This county has to pay for sink hole repairs, and infrastructure improvements. Some of the mains are very old.
I wash a half washer basket of laundry so it fills not more than half with water.
Holds about 50 gallons on the bulky cycle. Too much.
I only wash a car at home in the rain. I don't water our lawn. It comes back every spring nice. I over seed in early March. I water the gardens with a can.
One shower head is a 1.5 g.p.m.. The other is a 2.5 g.p.m. It rinses you faster, so I don't know if it uses more water. I do shut of the water between shampoo, shave, soap up. My dad taught us that. He used to say may as well toss a ten dollar bill out the window otherwise.
Still have an older toilet in one bath. The other is a new 1.28 gallon flush. It works better than the older one.
 
At its worst during the drought here we had Target 140L, which is about 35 gal per person per day. There was no outside hose usage, you needed to bucket water or have drip lines installed. Our city adapted and quite often the average consumption surpassed this. Now we have water again, the target is back to 240L per person per day or about 60gal. That's a lot less than the 100gals each people used to use.

It's been 5 years like that now and we don't even notice anymore. You can still use water, but you don't waste it watering the lawn, you just use only what you need to.
 
Maybe California will have no need for draconian regulations like this. People are going to get fed up and move away, and then there will be enough water.

I think my wife and I (and it's just the two of us) are pretty easy on water usage, even though we each take showers twice a day (I shower Navy style) and run a cycle once a day (it's a FL). Sometimes I run my own cycle whenever I something like compressor oil or just a whole lot of grime/dust on my uniforms so I don't take the chance of messing up my wife's scrubs. Not a big deal.

I wash both our cars once every two weeks, which I feel is reasonable. I think a using a few cents' worth of water is well worth preserving a paint job that could cost a couple thousand dollars. We run the dishwasher daily. It's a Whirlpool from 2014, so it's no 1975 KitchenAid. It's usually 60-75% full but the water usage is so negligible, why the heck not (we would use more water handwashing the dishes, which we NEVER, ever, ever do).

Never once watered the lawn, even when we had kind of a "drought" going on. I never felt the need to. Our neighbors might, but I just figured why waste the time and effort when it will return to green in a couple of weeks with our notorious PNW rains we get?

Our water bill is about $100/month, which is not bad at all. Most of the bill is less water/sewer and more taxes and fees. I remember when we were gone 1/2 the month on a vacation one time and it still came out to $100. No leaks, either, I check that once in a blue moon and the meter does not count up when everything is off.

Water alone is like $20/month, sewage is $30, trash is $25.
 
Why live in Califunia?

Same reason some Californians don't want to live back east. Weather. Generally low humidity, moderate temps below 100 f., most of the time.
However, every rose has a thorn. Even the thornless variety get some as they age.
Hunmidity is a bit higher in the LA basin since the large migration due mainly to swimming pools.
People from across the nation filled up the basin. It was the last frontier, aside from Alaska.
My uncle was installing a furnace in Pa. in December of 1953. The snow was whirling out the basement window. The next week, they left, never to return except to visit. They settled in a gateway suburb on the east south eastern edge of LA county.
Being an hvac man, California offered vast income opportunities.
He and his brother started their own company out there. A few of the sons joined after growing up. One grandson has assumed ownership today.
You can ski in the mountains in the morning, and surf in the afternoon at the beaches.
Yes it's expensive. If you are an easterner, you needed to go out there by 1976. Otherwise have a lot of money to buy any property.
Yes they have mud slides, fires, droughts, and the occasional earth quake.
Few tornadoes though, which have devastated many a mid western town.
It's mainly about the out of doors life style.
They work, and work hard, like we all do or have.
They live longer, with fewer health problems because they can be more active year round. Arthritis sufferers do better in general. My grandma used to spend January through March out there for that reason.
Agriculture is another benefit. Field grazing cattle, milk from those, abundant produce, grapes, wines, cheeses, walnuts, almonds, olives, avocados, etc.
Strawberries from Watsonville, Garlic from Gilroy, lettuces, etc., etc. from the Centro valley, San Jaquin, etc.
We must recall and be greatfull that had California and Texas remained with Mexico, the rest of the nation may be hurting.
Allow what is different about us all unite us rather than divide.
It's easy to be narrow minded in our little hamlet safety nets.
While many have left California, their state legislature will address this if too many do, perhaps. Or maybe that will relive some water usage need.
Water had to be brought into the LA basin from the mountains by building resivior's.
My uncle has no lawn. All rocks and pavers.
 
Why would anyone want to live ine California? Well, maybe because its our home. I was born here and I love it, and wouldn’t live anywhere else. BTW, California pays more taxes into the federal cofers than any other state in the union and those taxes help to finance the other states that are more improvised. Yet, we get no more representation in the Senate than any other state, and thereby less of a voice in how those tax dollars are spent at the federal level.

I have no idea what taxes are in other states, but I bet that every state has taxes that its citizens complain about too. Without taxation we can’t have roads, bridges, public water systems, public schools, police and fire depts. to protect us, ect., ect,

And the regulations in California are meant to help save our environment and resources for the present and future generations, not to just inconvience and piss off people. I’m happy that I can turn on my tap and enjoy clean water. I’ll bet the people of Flint, Mi. would like to do the same.

Eddie
 
Or fewer people..

So many serious social problems can be solved with the use of a condom. People really should not reward women for getting pregnant. For example, never tell a pregnant woman "congratulations"(for what, having sex and destroying the environment?). I would also say for women, don't go to baby showers, why have a gift grab for making kids (men don't go to baby showers).

Twintubdexter: Actually, the Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Harrisburg areas - where a lot of PA population is voted for Hillary (this would be Allegheny, Philadelphia, Bucks, and Dauphin counties). Plus, Hillary actually won by 3 million, the population of the Pittsburgh area. But you are right, even though more expensive and I get sunburned easily, I would like to live in California.
 
Dont get caught up in Fake News

Relax, folks. Nobody is going to monitor or enforce individual's indoor water usage. These are guidelines being instituted for water districts.

Some fake news websites have started to try to get people alarmed by falsely claiming it will illegal to take a shower and do laundry on the same day in California due to "draconian" water regulations.

Water is a precious resource in California, especially Southern Cal. I think it is prudent to plan for a our future and find ways to lower water usage where possible. This really isn't anything new. We have had to cut water usage before and we'll do it again.

While we often suffer droughts, I think it safe to say Southern California has the best year-round weather in the nation and a beautiful coastline. Every state has benefits and draw backs.
 
It doesnt need to be that big or scary, its all about having a plan for when it happens.

This link is a presentation that was prepared just before christmas 2017 after a dry winter. It shows how and when the restrictions cut in and how the process works.

I hope we dont get back to those low levels, but life isnt that hard, even if you have to

 

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