Dougherty Valley Asked To Reduce Water Use By 10 Percent

SAN RAMON, CA — Tri-Valley officials and water agencies asked residents of San Ramon's Dougherty Valley neighborhood, among others, to cut water use voluntarily by 10 percent from last year.

Tri-Valley residents previously stepped up when asked to conserve water, according to a statement released Monday by Zone 7 Water Agency, California Water Service, the Dublin San Ramon Services District and the cities of Livermore and Pleasanton.

Officials asked residents to conserve amid an extreme drought in 2014 and 2015, and water use levels never returned to their pre-drought heights.

“The Tri-Valley has multiple sources of water supply storage, including its local groundwater supplies. This allows us to withstand the occasional dry winter,” said Zone 7 Water Agency General Manager Valerie Pryor in a statement. “However, after two especially dry years in a row, we cannot rely on storage alone. Since we do not know how long these dry conditions will last, we need to start saving water now so our community will have more water available next year.”

The request came a few weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom placed Contra Costa County, Alameda County and 37 others under an emergency drought order. The emergency order covered three in 10 Californians.

More: Newsom Expands Drought Emergency To Contra Costa County

Swaths of the Golden State, including much of the Bay Area, remain under an exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. That's the worst level on a six-tiered drought assessment scale.

Much of California is on the second-worst level: extreme drought. The entire state is affected by drought to some degree, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Most people use 60 to 70 percent of their water on landscaping, Tri-Valley officials said. Residents may consider watering plants from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. to reduce evaporation.

People can also conserve water by running washing machines and dishwashers only when they have a full load and immediately repairing leaks, officials said. Hard-to-detect toilet leaks can be found by placing a few drops of food coloring in the tank, waiting 15 or 20 minutes, then checking to see whether any food coloring has leaked into the bowl.