Earlier this summer you received a request in the newsletter to conserve water. This special mailing is to inform you that it is urgent to do so for the next several months.

Cuesta relies on water stored in reservoirs and stream flow diverted from Woodhams Creek to meet our summer water needs. Woodhams flow typically supplies about 45% of our summer demand, with the remaining demand being made up for from water stored in the reservoirs. We are not permitted to divert water from Mindego Creek to supplement our water supply and to recharge the reservoirs until October 1st, and we cannot perform this diversion unless there is at least 1 cubic foot per second of flow. We started the summer with full reservoirs, but stream flow in Woodhams Creek is lower than normal, reducing the total supply of water available to Cuesta over the summer months. Furthermore, lower than normal flows in Mindego last spring and through the summer indicate that we will not be able to divert water from Mindego on October 1st and likely will have to wait until the first heavy rains to do so. Taken together, this means that reservoir supplies are not only being depleted faster than normal, but we have to rely on reservoir water for far longer than we normally do – until at least December and perhaps longer if we do not get good rains in December. This will stretch our water reserves to the limit.

Despite the previous call for conservation, the rate of water use in Cuesta has not gone down, in fact, we are seeing higher than normal numbers of accounts with water over-use fees. It is urgent that everyone cut back on water usage. Specific suggestions for conserving water are outlined below.

What is the Guild doing?

The Guild is working to bring supplemental sources of water online. We are aiming to get the new well in production, and are also making repairs to our second diversion point in lower Woodhams Creek. These sources should extend significantly our reservoir supplies.

The Guild is also planning to use water in the Lower Reservoir for the first time in several years. Lower has been used as a reclamation pond for the new filter treatment plant. We are performing a thorough battery of water tests, under the supervision of the Department of Public Health, to ensure the quality of this water.

What can you do?

Irrigate Efficiently
Many households use 30% or more of their water to irrigate their gardens and yards. Water at only night or in the early morning, when it is cool and not windy. Watering at night, when evaporation losses are low, can save a lot of water. If you water for 30 minutes during the day, try watering for 20 minutes at night instead.

Install water efficient irrigation systems, such as drip systems. Look for sprinklers that produce droplets - not mist - and install rain shut-off devices and moisture sensors.

Fix leaks
Leaky faucets that drip at the rate of one drop per second can waste up to 2,700 gallons of water each year. A leaking toilet can waste far more, up to 200 gallons a day, and is a common cause of water over-usage in Cuesta. Check your faucets and toilets. Remember to check outdoor stop cocks. If you're unsure whether you have a leak, read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak. To tell if your toilet has a leak, place a drop of food coloring in the tank; if the color shows in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak.

Bathe wisely
A full bath tub requires about 70 gallons of water, while taking a five-minute shower uses 10 to 40 gallons. Take a shower when possible. Install low flow shower heads or turn the flow down to the minimum needed. Turn the shower off while soaping up. If you take a bath, stopper the drain immediately and adjust the temperature as you fill the tub.

Turn off the tap
Do not leave taps flowing while working at the kitchen or bathroom sink. Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth in the morning and at bedtime can save up to 8 gallons of water per day, which equals 2920 gallons a year!

Wash Full Loads
The average washing machine uses over 40 gallons of water per load. High-efficiency washing machines use less than 27 gallons of water per load. To achieve even greater savings, wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate load size selection on the washing machine.

Reduce the flush
The toilet accounts for about 28% of water use in the home. In an older toilet, the flush volume can be reduced by displacing water in the tank with plastic bottles. Weight down two large plastic bottles with an inch or two of pebbles, fill with water, screw the lids on, and put them in your toilet tank. Make sure they are placed safely away from the operating mechanisms. Alternatively, buy an inexpensive tank bank or float booster. This may save ten or more gallons of water per day.

Don't use the toilet as a wastebasket. Every time you flush facial tissue, 3.5 to 7 gallons of water is wasted.

New and improved high-efficiency models use less than 1.3 gallons per flush - that's 60 to 80 percent less than their less efficient counterparts. Over 10 years, one high-efficiency toilet can save a family of four over 100,000 gallons of water without compromising performance.

Report Problems!
If you experience low pressure, high pressure, taste, odor, or color problems with your water, please call 747-9556 or 747-0361. If you see water running in your yard or in the street where it should not be, please call us immediately. Water conservation is extremely important as we head into the summer months.

Cuesta La Honda Board of Directors