The San Diego County Water Authority is forecasting adequate supplies and expecting continued conservation efforts as California begins the 2018 water year on Sunday.
“Thanks to remarkably wet conditions last winter, the 2018 water year will begin with improved supply conditions at the water authority’s two imported water sources – the Colorado River and the Sierra Nevada,” the authority said in a statement.
In addition, the region can count on the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, and is prepared with high storage levels in many local reservoirs.
More significantly, San Diegans are still conserving water on a widespread scale — nearly as efficiently as during the recent drought.
“Our region is doing an outstanding job of embracing a permanent water-saving ethic,” said Mark Muir, chair of the water authority board of directors. “Months after drought conditions and restrictions ended, San Diego County residents and businesses are sticking to their water-efficient practices, enabling water to be saved for future droughts or emergencies.”
The “water year” is defined by the U.S. Geological Survey based on river flows. It begins on Oct. 1 and ends on Sept. 30.
One concern for the water authority in the coming year is the weather. The national Climate Prediction Center sees an increasing chance of La Niña conditions in the Northern Hemisphere, which could lead to a drier winter in Southern California.