Manteca’s per capita water use surged 14.6 percent in March as the city’s consumption continued to grow significantly over 2020 even after making adjustments for population gain.
The double-digit gain in year-to-year use comes nine months after Governor Gavin Newsom asked Californians to voluntarily cut water usage by 15 percent based on 2020 consumption levels. So far water use on average in California jurisdictions is down by 6 percent although Manteca clearly isn’t one of them.
It also comes on the heels the critical April 1 survey of the snowpack that provides California with close to 40 percent of its annual water needs that showed it was at 38 percent of average.
That dismal snowpack is the worst in seven years.
South San Joaquin Irrigation Director Peter Reitkerk noted Tuesday that it appears hydrology trends show the runoff on the Stanislaus River watershed that the district taps to help irrigate 52,000 plus acres of farmland plus supply water to the cities of Manteca, Tracy, and Lathrop will be a repeat of 2015.
If that is verified by a report expected in a few days, it means New Melones Reservoir will not be able to store sufficient water needed to meet all of its commitments for water quality, fisheries, and use by irrigation districts.
Reitkerk stressed district personnel working the canals are being diligent to make sure operationally that the potential for water loss is minimized. And while that — married with conservation by farmers and urban users alike — would allow the district to meet its needs for this year it will be tight.
The real concern, though, is 2023. If the drought continues into a fourth year it is unlikely there will be enough storage in New Melones to address a significant portion of the need.
The need for carryover storage as a buffer against drastic cutbacks in 2023 if nature doesn’t deliver adequate snow and rain is critical as whatever water isn’t used this year could be needed to make sure bare minimums of water for health and safety needs.
The 2.4-million-acre foot New Melones reservoir was 39 percent full on Monday. The 929,728 acre feet of water in storage is 62 percent of the average for the date of April 4. In flow has dropped down to 62 cubic feet per second while outflow is at 1,568 cubic feet per second.
Second month in a row that
water usage is up in Manteca
Manteca, based on city figures, used 4.275 million gallons of water last month compared to 3.732 million gallons in March 2022.
When adjusted for roughly a 4,000 population gain between 2020 and 2022, Manteca’s daily water usage per capita increased 14.6 percent to 137.9 gallons per person compared to 120.4 gallons two years prior.
Water use on a similar comparison basis was up 5.5 percent from February 2020 to February 2022 going from 111.15 to 117.1 gallons per capita for daily water use.
Manteca had reduced per capita water use by 7 percent in 2021.
Manteca’s overall water consumption was down 5 percent from 4,979 million gallons in 2020. But given the city grew by just over 2,000 residents the per capita water consumption went down from 160.5 gallons per person on a daily basis to 148.2 for roughly a 7 percent drop.
Manteca water use crept
back up after last drought
Mantecans used 195.5 gallons per capita in 2013. Water use dropped steadily for a number of years due to the city pushing for reduced front lawn area for new homes, the shift to low-flow toilets as well as showerheads and washing machines, and tighter lawn watering rules. It started to go up slightly after the last drought ended in 2017 but has since started dropping again.
The new state rules mirror what Manteca has in place year-round for the past 82 months including no watering allowed of grass within 48 hours of measurable rain.
The only difference is the state is pushing a $500 fine for the first offense.
The stricter water rules that were adopted for Manteca residents and businesses 79 months ago and are still in effect are as follows:
*No irrigation is allowed during or within 48 hours following measurable rainfall as defined by storms that generate run-off or puddles.
*No watering is allowed on Monday or any day between noon and 6 p.m. Watering for even addresses is on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday while odd addresses can water on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
*No water will be allowed on any day at any time for washing off sidewalks, driveways, patios, parking lots or other exterior non-landscaped areas without a permit obtained from the Manteca Public Works Department office at the Civic Center.
*No water will be allowed to flow into a gutter or other drainage area for longer than 5 minutes. All water leaks or malfunctions in plumbing or irrigation systems must be fixed with 24 hours.
Penalties include a written notice on the first violation, a $100 fine with applicable fees on the second violation that may be waived by attending a water conservation workshop; a $200 fine and applicable fees on the third violation; and $500 fines for each and every subsequent violation plus applicable fees.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
