Conservation

Wise water use is a part of life for all Californians. With our Mediterranean climate, unpredictable rainfall, and growing population, Californians simply cannot take their water supply for granted - and neither can water suppliers. Prudent water management practices ensure that water customers will receive a safe and reliable supply of water, whatever the season.

Whether reducing water loss through water distribution system leaks or sponsoring education and plumbing retrofit programs to help customers use water wisely, water suppliers are continuously working to ensure that every drop of water is used efficiently.

California Water Awareness Campaign

The California Water Awareness Campaign is a year-long effort to increase public awareness of water and the role that water agencies and organizations play in conservation, management, water supply, water quality and distribution. The Campaign kick-off is usually scheduled during the month of May with a proclamation issued by the Governor.

In 1987, California was in the midst of a drought and the Campaign began with water conservation as its main theme. Since then, the theme has expanded to include the role that water plays in agriculture, industry, the environment, and daily life.

Co-sponsors of the Campaign include the California Water Association (1999 Chair), Association of California Water Agencies, California Farm Bureau Federation, California Department of Water Resources, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Each year the campaign develops and produces campaign materials that can be used by water agencies and companies in their educational and promotional programs. A school education kit is also developed and has become popular with educators throughout California. Water agencies throughout the state plan special activities in their local communities during May, including poster contests, fun runs and water facility tours.

The Campaign is entirely supported by contributions received from urban water suppliers and other interested parties, including the California Water Association. For more information about the campaign or Water Awareness Month, call the California Water Awareness Campaign at 916-325-2596 or e-mail campaign headquarters at cwac@acwanet.com

Our Supply

Residents of California rely on two types of sources for their drinking water: surface water (rivers and lakes) and groundwater (underground aquifers). Some communities are fortunate enough to be near both a surface water source and a groundwater aquifer. Groundwater provides 60 percent of all water supplied to Californians and is usually pumped from aquifers underlying local communities. In places where there is not enough local surface or groundwater to meet customer needs, water suppliers purchase water from other areas and transport it through many miles of pipelines. This imported water is delivered through facilities developed by state, federal or local governments. The Central Valley Project (CVP), the State Water Project (SWP), the Colorado River Aqueduct, and many local and regional projects supply water when and where it is needed.

Major Water Projects
The State Water Project (SWP) consists of 22 dams and reservoirs. Water in the upper Feather River is provided from the project for water supply and recreation uses, while Oroville Dam forms the SWPÕs largest storage reservoir. From there, water flows south to the Bay-Delta, where the North and South Bay aqueducts serve communities in the southern San Francisco Bay area. The 444-mile long California Aqueduct begins at the Delta Pumping Plant and follows Interstate 5 south to the Tehachapi Mountains. To cross the Tehachapis into southern California, water is elevated at the Robert D. Edmonston Pumping Plant some 2,000 feet - higher than anywhere else in the world. About 30 percent of SWP water is used for agriculture and 70 percent is used for residential, municipal and industrial use, mainly in southern California. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is responsible for the management of the SWP. For more information on the SWP or DWR, visit their web site at www.dwr.water.ca.gov.

The Central Valley Project (CVP) stores and transports surplus water from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers to the agricultural Central Valley. Shasta Dam in the north and Friant-Kern Canal in southern San Joaquin Valley are part of CVP. In a normal year, the CVP provides 95 percent of its water for agricultural use and 5 percent for urban use. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, a branch of the Department of the Interior, is responsible for the operation of the CVP. For more information about the CVP and the Bureau, visit their web site at www.usbr.gov .

From the Colorado River's beginning, northwest of Denver, this 1,400 mile long river passes through parts of seven states: four in its upper basin - Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming - and three in its lower basin - Arizona, California, and Nevada. Its water is also shared by several American Indian tribes in the basin states and by the Republic of Mexico. In 1941, California completed the 242 mile-long Colorado River Aqueduct, delivering Colorado River water to communities in Southern California. The Department of the Interior's U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is responsible for the management of the River and its allocations. A recent agreement has been reached which requires California to remain within its annual water supply allocation of 4.4 million-acre feet. For more information about the Colorado River and the Bureau, visit their web site at www.usbr.gov.