Water District Unveils Plan to Fight Drought

The Metropolitan Water District, which serves about 15 million people in Southern California, unveiled a plan Tuesday to deal with the on-going drought.

The first phase of the plan will go into effect Dec. 1 and involves cash incentives and disincentives and improvements in storage and management, said Carl Boronkay, general manager of the Los Angeles based utility.

The 27 public agencies making up the district’s membership will be asked to voluntarily reduce their monthly usage. Subsequent phases will involve planned use of regional reservoir and ground water reserves and surcharges to agencies that exceed assigned monthly quotas.

“Four consecutive dry years have created a threat to our water supplies never before experienced by Southern California,” Boronkay said. “In light of precariously low water levels in State Water Project storage reservoirs and the potential for reduced diversions from the Colorado River, this plan is necessary if we are to minimize hardships in our homes and businesses.”