Recent rains and customer response to a request for a ten-percent reduction in water use resulted in good news for the local water supply. Truckee Meadows Water Authority’s (TMWA) water production for this May was 19% lower compared to May 2013*, which is the baseline-use year. That’s over 1,500 acre-feet, or approximately half a billion gallons in water savings.
May rainstorms increased Truckee River flows enough that it, coupled with decreased customer demand, allowed TMWA to delay the need to bring production wells on-line and to hold off the release of any upstream drought reserves. “This is great news, because every day we can delay the release of upstream reservoir storage, is water in the bank that we can keep upstream for later use, should we need it,” explained Bill Hauck, senior hydrologist. “
The reduction in water use shows that TMWA customers are mindful of the drought and are doing their part to minimize water use. They responded to the rain showers in May—meaning they turned off their sprinklers. “This is a good way to start off the irrigation season. So, keep up the good work and keep saving at least 10 percent,” Hauck added.
SOURCE: TMWA.
