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Emeryville Residents, Businesses Face Water Use Restrictions

Special to the Emeryville Connection
June 2008

EBMUD Declares Water Shortage Emergency; will consider higher water rates

A new era of resource shortages – and higher prices – may be in the works for Emeryville residents and businesses. Along with higher gas and food prices, the East Bay now faces the prospect of use restrictions, and possibly increased rates, for

a commodity most of us take for granted: fresh water.

That’s the news from Emeryville’s water supplier, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), which declared a water shortage emergency at its Board of Directors meeting on May 13th. The EBMUD Board also adopted a drought management plan to ensure there will be is adequate water supply for future years, and a drought management plan to reduce water use by 15 percent.

All Emeryville residents and businesses receive their water from East Bay MUD and are directly impacted by this decision.

Andy Katz, the East Bay MUD Director for District 4, which includes Emeryville, said that the drought management plan adopted by the EBMUD Board addresses future water needs for the District. “Our drought management plan ensures adequate storage for future years,” Katz said. To ensure adequate storage for future years, EBMUD customers will need to conserve water use by 15%. The average household uses about 200 gallons per day. The top 1% of residential water users consume over 1,000 gallons per day, about 5% of our water. The lowest 18% of residential water users use less than 75 gallons per day, about 2-3% of our water.

Specific water uses prohibited.

The EBMUD plan prohibits certain specific water use activities, including all of the following:

• using water for decorative ponds, lakes and fountains except those that recycle the water

• washing vehicles with hoses that do not contain shutoff nozzles

• washing sidewalks, patios and other hard surfaces

• irrigating outdoors on consecutive days or more than three days a week

(EBMUD recommends watering in the evening or before dawn)

• lawn or garden watering that results in excessive runoff

• sewer and hydrant flushing and washing streets with potable (drinking)zzzzzwater supplied by EBMUD except for essential purposes

• the use of potable water for construction if alternatives are available

• the use of potable water for soil compaction and dust control when another source is

available

Katz also mentioned other ways residents and businesses can voluntarily save water, including repairing leaky faucets, and discouraging refilling of swimming pools and spas. “We also encourage restaurants to serve water to patrons only when requested,” he added.

Increased “drought rates” to be

considered in July.

The EBMUD Board also discussed the implementation of drought rates, which will be considered for approval at its July 8 meeting and public hearing.

Under that proposal, water volume charges for most EBMUD single family residential water customers increase by 10 percent. These customers will be asked to cut their water use by 19 percent (based on the average of their last three years of water bills). Customers who achieve this goal will see a reduction in their overall water bill. But those who still use more than 90 percent of their allotted water budget will face a $2 surcharge for each unit of water they consume beyond that threshold.

One unit of water is 748 gallons. Customers who use small amounts of water, less than 100 gallons a day, would be exempt from the 10 percent volume increase and the surcharge.

Surcharges and increases will take effect for other customer groups as well on August 1, if the proposed rate plan is approved by the Board.

EBMUD will reach out to all of its customers through advertising, community, civic and

government meetings, in addition to mass media news messages to advise customers on how to achieve these savings, including publicizing the many rebate programs the District offers. The District’s website www.ebmud.com will be continuously updated.

“This is a serious challenge for all of us,” said Dennis Diemer, EBMUD general manager, “but the District is prepared to meet it and we know from past history our customers are more than ready as well.”