Santa Maria urging immediate water conservation due to emergency State Water shutdown
Dave Alley
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The City of Santa Maria has put out an urgent call to residents and businesses to conserve as much water as possible for the next four days due to an emergency shutdown of the State Water pipeline.
The city said the shutdown has been caused by a leak in the supply delivery system and will to be inspected and repair during the project four-day period of time.
Until repairs are completed, the State Water Project, which is managed by the California Department of Water Resources and managed locally by the Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA) will temporarily stop deliveries to all member agencies, including the City of Santa Maria.
Santa Maria relies on two main sources to maintain its water supply, groundwater and imported State Water.
With State Water now halted, Santa Maria now rely only on groundwater supplies during the shutdown, and is sending out a “call to action” to the community to stress the importance of conservation.
The city pointed out in a release that while water service will remain active, community-wide conservation is critical to ensure water remains available for public health, safety, and emergency services.
During the next four days, Santa Maria has asked the community to restrict all non-essential water use, including:
No outdoor watering or irrigation (including sprinklers, drip systems, and handwatering)
No filling or topping off swimming pools or spas
No outdoor washing of vehicles at home, use only commercial car washes thatrecycle water
No washing of hard surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks, or building exteriors
All of the various city departments have immediately transitioned into full conservation mode, including Recreation and Parks, which is the biggest user of water within the city’s departmental structure.
Recreation and Parks has stopped all irrigation at its parks and landscaping maintenance districts.
In addition, Santa Maria has suspended all hydrant flushing, fire department training, and other non-essential water uses.
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