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With potable water sources drying up fast and no significant rain on the horizon, it’s absolutely vital that we step up our conservation efforts and reuse every precious drop.

On Monday, city officials voted to lower the once-a-week irrigation time from 15 minutes per station down to 10 minutes per station for Waterworks District 8 customers.

And it could get worse. If the drought persists and customers fail to conserve, outdoor watering could be banned entirely.

Simi has two purveyors and some customers are feeling the pinch more than others.

Waterworks District 8, which serves two-thirds of the city, charges a flat rate regardless of how much water customers use and penalties are just starting to be implemented for those who use too much. Golden State Water Co. has a tiered-rate system in place that charges customers higher fees when they exceed their allocations. The district also limits outdoor irrigation to 8 minutes per week per station. (See story on Page 1.)

GW’s approach is yielding results. Between July 1 and 28, Golden State customers were 21% below their conservation target while District 8 customers exceeded their conservation target by 54%.

While many people realize the gravity of the situation and are following conservation mandates, some property owners are still ignoring the pleas and insist on keeping their lawns green.

It’s true, state officials should have done more to prepare for drought. They knew it was coming. Water-thirsty crops grown for export and state-mandated demands for more housing are not helping the situation.

But we’re not helpless.

Some purveyors, like Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and its joint venture partner, Triunfo Water, and Sanitation District, are taking bold measures to make every drop count. In addition to turning much of their sewer effluent into a recycled product for outdoor irrigation, these districts—serving the Oak Park, Agoura, Calabasas, and Westlake Village areas—are working to build an advanced treatment plant that could turn millions of gallons of sewer water into drinking water.

Presently, Simi Valley relies on imported water for both indoor and outdoor uses and District 8 is only able to provide reclaimed water to a handful of commercial properties. It would take a lot of money, cooperation, and work to expand the reclaimed water system. But soon, there may not be another option if we want to irrigate our parks, trees, and gardens.

Mixing more water from underground basins in Simi with the potable supply is not a desirable option for many who have concerns of potential contamination from the Santa Susana Field Lab.

We agree. And having two local purveyors that use completely different approaches to get compliance is not ideal, either. In fact, it can be frustrating for those who use less and pay more.

But one thing’s for sure: We’re running dry. If we don’t cut back now, hefty fines and more drastic conservation mandates will follow. We must sacrifice our lush landscaping to ensure the tap continues to flow.

For water conservation tips, go online to bewaterwise.com.

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