Rain or shine, the water-wise lifestyle is the new “normal”
in Rancho Santa Margarita. The drought emergency is lessened, but one season of rainfall alone cannot make up for
several years of dry weather. We live in
a semi-arid climate, and future droughts are
likely.
In 2015, Santa Margarita Water District asked customers to pitch
in to do their part to conserve water; the
response was impressive! Each month, customers achieved the State mandated 24
percent reduction, and customers are continuing their conservation habits. SMWD still averages an approximate 20 percent savings each month.
The six-year historic
drought reminded us just how precious
water is, and we have learned how simple it can be to use it wisely. The
District offers resources and programs to help customers continue with a water-wise
lifestyle, including free landscape design services, rebates, and online tools
for do-it-yourselfers. Visit smwd.com/sustainablue to learn more.
It’s also important to remember that Santa Margarita Water
District imports 100% of its drinking water from many miles away – from the Colorado
River or northern California. With this in mind, it’s important that the water is reused as many times as possible. Since 2015, the District has invested over $5
million to increase the number of communities
with access to recycled water for irrigation. This and other uses of recycled water will help SMWD reach a
strategic goal set by the Board of Directors and local stakeholders to recycle 100% of the District’s wastewater by 2019.
Currently, approximately 24 percent is recycled. But, the
District isn’t stopping there. The most
recent innovative initiative led by the SMWD is the San Juan Watershed Project.
It proposes to capture stormwater and urban runoff in the San Juan Creek and
ultimately provide enough drinking water for 50,000 families a year at its
completion. Learn more about the local and reliable water supply at
sanjuanwatershed.com.