Santa Cruz city leaders get update on water supply outlook

Santa Cruz had the driest January every this year, and on Monday night, city leaders got an update on the city’s water supply outlook for the coming months. You’ll recall the city enforced some pretty tough restrictions last year. After a wet December, the area is back in a dry spell.

The city has been proactive about saving water since the drought started, so when crews began doing some routine flushing out of hydrants, it caused quite a commotion. Some 16 million gallons are needed to clear out the entire system and remove sediment from the pipes, which actually improves the quality of drinking water.

Though January was one of the driest months of record, in December, big storms gave the city 158% of normal rainfall. The supply sits at 74%, which is better than last year. While it’s too early to tell whether restrictions could happen again, the city is proud of neighbors for monitoring their water usage.

“The community is doing phenomenally,” Eileen Cross, a community relations specialist with Santa Cruz said. “They have maintained their rationed amounts. Even though we rescinded mandatory rationing, people are still doing a great job.”

Monday’s meeting is the initial water outlook. There’s another meeting in March where the city will get the mid-point outlook, with a final outlook in April. That’s when we could find out if there are any recommendations for water restrictions in this area. Of course, a lot of that will hinge on whether we get more rain.