Santa Clara Valley Water District Warns Customers To Continue Conserving Despite Recent Rainfall
SAN JOSE (KPIX) -- Despite the recent rainfall in the Bay Area, officials with the Santa Clara Valley Water District are warning customers the need to conserve water remains as urgent as ever.
"One rain storm doesn't end the drought any more than one workout makes you fit," says Gary Kremen, the district Vice Chairman.
A spokesperson for the water district says water levels in its ten reservoirs remain low at a combined 11.4%.
The district uses above-ground storage in its system of reservoirs to replenish water in underground aquifers.
"The minute that we get rain everybody assumes that we're OK," says Brent Callahan during a recent visit to Lexington Reservoir at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Callahan says it's abundantly clear from looking at Lexington which is only 20% full that the drought isn't over.
"It seems like such a contrast from when I was a kid and we would get a lot more rain it seemed like," he said.
The water district says it's even more worrisome that people have stopping conserve water -- perhaps lulled by several soaking storms that have passed through the area.
There are potential penalties on the horizon for San Jose Water Company customers who overuse water. The company which has a million customers in San Jose and surrounding cities voted to charge customers $7.13 per additional unit of water they use over their monthly allotment.
"I think the threat of fines might help. Hopefully, people won't get to fines because that's kind of demonstrating 'I don't care.'" Kremen said.