Oct 27, 2008 5:23 pm US/Pacific
Calif. Slashes Supply To State Water Districts
SANTA CLARA (CBS 5) ―
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The state plans to cut supplies to water districts by 85 to 90 percent.
CBS 11 News
After two extremely dry years, CBS 5 has learned that California will drastically slash the amount of water it gives to districts statewide.
In what could be the worst crisis in Decades, the California Department of Water Resources tells CBS 5 it will cut supplies to water districts by 85 to 90 percent.
"It's pretty serious right now…California has had its second critically dry year. We are looking at going into a third potentially dry year. We have actually drawn down our reservoirs…we are actually having difficulties delivering water this year," said Wendy Marin of the California Department of Water Resources.
From the Sierra, through the mighty Sacramento San Joaquin Delta and along the California Aqueduct, the State delivers water for drinking and irrigation to 25 million Californians each year.
There are 29 state agencies that deliver this water and every one will see huge cutbacks beginning January 1st.
In the Bay Area the tap will be cut back on several water agencies. The Santa Clara Valley Water District - with 1.8 million customers - will see restrictions, along with the Tri Valley/Zone 7 Water District and the Alameda County Water District.
"It's Pretty significant for us," said Susan Siravo of the Santa Clara Valley Water District. "We get half of our water conveyed through the Delta, from the Sierra Snowpack."
"We are coming off of two dry years, and we are really having to rely on ourselves, which we don't want to do because we always want to keep them as full as we can."
Santa Clara, the Tri Valley and Alameda water agencies say they do have enough back-up supply so far, but another dry winter would result in mandatory rationing. Hetch Hetchy, East Bay Mud and North Bay agencies are not affected because they do not receive state water. But They too are seeing big dips in their own reservoirs.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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