Conservation

On May 9, 2016 Governor Brown issued an Executive Order calling for the State Water Board to adjust emergency water conservation regulations through the end of January 2017, in recognition of the differing water supply conditions across the state.  To implement the Executive Order, the State Water Board adopted a Resolution which revised regulations to allow individual suppliers to self-certify that there would be no supply shortfall assuming three additional dry years.  The self-certification “stress test” allowed many suppliers to self-certify that there would be no supply shortfall, even after three additional drought years.  The Executive Order also called on the Board to develop a proposal to achieve a mandatory reduction in potable urban water usage that builds off of the mandatory 25% reduction called for in a previous Executive Order and lessons learned through 2016.  The state experienced significant snow and rainfall during the 2016/2017 water year, causing many of the state’s reservoirs to shift to flood-control operations; however, some reservoirs remain critically low and groundwater storage remains depleted in many areas due to the continued impact of prolonged drought.  Precipitation cannot be counted on to continue, and snowpack levels, while above average during the 2016/2017 water year are below average for the current time of year.  The full picture of the state’s hydrologic water conditions for 2017/2018 remains unclear and subject to a number of variables at least through the end of the spring.
 
During the 3 years of drought we recently experienced, you reduced water use by 25% which greatly helped to keep the PG&E electric cost at a manageable level.  This past year water use went back up by nearly 6% (31 Million Gallons) for the year, which when combined with a lower water table and PG&E rate increases caused the PG&E electric cost to go up by 18% ($61,032.68) for the year.
2016
558 Million Gallons Delivered
$340,695.44     PG&E Electric cost for the fiscal year
2017
589 Million Gallons Delivered
$401,728.12     PG&E Electric cost for the fiscal year
Average amount of water delivered in a MONTH during the WINTER:  
  • 24 Million Gallons
Average amount of water delivered in a MONTH during the SUMMER:
  • 54 Million Gallons
Average amount of water delivered for INDOOR use in a YEAR: 
  • 290 Million Gallons
Average amount of water delivered for OUTDOOR use in a YEAR:

 

  • 376 Million Gallons
WATER RATES COULD INCREASE AGAIN THIS SUMMER
The PG&E electric costs for the Fiscal Year 2018 are on track to a 25% increase.
If this continues we could see our total cost for the Fiscal Year exceed $500,000.00.
EACH OF YOU CAN DO YOUR PART TO HELP PREVENT YOUR WATER RATES FROM INCREASING THIS SUMMER BY CUTTING BACK ON OUTDOOR WATER USE ON LAWNS DURING THE SUMMER.  Watering the grass we have in our lawns is what accounts for the majority of the increase in water use during the summer months.  We are not asking that you completely stop watering your lawns, just don’t overwater them.  Every little bit saved by each of you makes a big difference.
 
Madera Valley Water Company has always strived to have the best water system possible.  As stated previously, as a result of the drought over the past several years; there have been water systems which have found themselves either with a limited capability of delivering water or no capability of delivering water at all.  We are not in that situation because of our proactive improvements and diligent maintenance program over the many years that our system has been in operation.