Why is This Important?

Communities need potable water in adequate quantities to accommodate their residential and non-residential needs. San Mateo County has limited sources of local water, however, and relies heavily on the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to meet much of its water supply. The SFPUC system gets 85 percent of its water from Sierra Nevada snowmelt stored in the Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park. The remaining 15 percent comes from local Bay Area watersheds. With climate change expected to adversely impact Sierra snowmelt-dependent watersheds like the Hetch Hetchy, growing populations in the Bay Area will compete for a decreasing amount of water.

What is a Sustainable State?

A sustainable state is one where water supplies and demand for water resources are in balance and there is a diversity of supply to reduce the risk of shortages or disruptions from any single source.

How Are We Doing?

Supply and Demand
· In 2008-09, over 93 percent of all water consumed in San Mateo County came from SFPUC. The remaining water supply came from local sources such as groundwater and surface water. Only a very small portion (less than one percent) of the county’’s water came from recycled water, compared with 7 percent in Santa Clara County.

· Nine water agencies in the county rely on SFPUC for 100 percent of their water supply.

· In total, water agencies in San Mateo County are allocated about 91 million gallons of water per day from SFPUC. In 2008-09, San Mateo County used 91.4 percent of its total allotment, a reduction of about 5 percent from 2007-08.

· Two agencies—Daly City and Cal Water Service—used more water than their annual SFPUC supply assurance, and three other agencies—Redwood City, East Palo Alto, and Coastside Water District—used more then 90 percent of their allotment.

· In FY 2008-09, water use countywide averaged 89.4 million gallons per day, a reduction of 5.7 percent from 2007-08. The reduction is most likely due to a range of voluntary and mandatory use restrictions put in place by water agencies during the drought of 2008-09.

· Average residential per capita consumption in the county was 84.4 gallons per capita per day (gpcpd), a 14 percent reduction from 2007-08 when it was 97.8 gpcpd. Per capita daily residential water consumption decreased in all jurisdictions in 2008-09. Menlo Park reduced residential water use by 30 percent in 2008-09.

· Residential water use is highly correlated with lot size, landscaping, and the relative number of single family homes versus multi-family homes (apartments). Per capita residential water use in the county was highest in the Town of Hillsborough (289.5 gallons per capita per day) and lowest in East Palo Alto (45.3 gallons per capita per day).

Best Management Practices
· The California Urban Water Conservation Council (CUWCC) has established 14 best management practices (BMPs) that increase water conservation. BMPs include water conservation pricing (higher cost with increased customer use) and programs to retrofit homes and businesses with low flow fixtures.

· In 2008-09, all water agencies in the county had implemented water conservation pricing. Five more BMPs have greater than 90 percent adoption.

Case Study: Town of Hillsborough Water Conservation
The Town of Hillsborough has adopted two innovative new water conservation programs in the last year, contributing to a reduction in per capita water use of about 13 percent over the last five years.

· Flushing of water mains is necessary to remove buildup of minerals in water mains, and improve water flow rates for fire hydrants. This practice, used among all water agencies, also wastes a large amount of water. Using a grant from the state, Hillsborough has purchased a system allowing workers to re-capture water flushed through hydrants, filter it, and reinject it into the water system, saving an estimated 10 million gallons of water per year.

· To reduce outdoor water use, Hillsborough will provide detailed Water Use Reports to all of its 4,000 residential water customers beginning Spring 2011. The reports will be mailed every two months and will compare actual water use to ideal water use and also show each customer the amount of money they may save by meeting their water use goal. A pilot test of the Water Use Reports on 150 Hillsborough residents achieved a 24% reduction in their overall water use in 2009.