First let me start by saying we at Harvest Landscape Enterprises, Inc. do not participate in the practice of “repairing for repairs sake”. We do not believe in repairing the irrigation unless it is malfunctioning, be it a leak, geyser, complete non-operation (no water coming out), or unless it poses a danger to the property or its community members. In our opinion, over the past few years, lack of rain has lead to the increased dependence on the irrigation systems to keep the landscape alive. This increased dependence has in turn lead to the need for more irrigation repairs and maintenance. Irrigation systems and parts are like any other product, over time they wear down and begin to malfunction and break. When coupled with increasing use, an irrigation system would experience wear and tear issues that it would probably not experience during “normal” or intended operational conditions. We believe the weather, or lack thereof, is the single largest factor to constant breaks and need for irrigation repairs. Because the irrigation needs to be used a lot more often, the system and its parts are subjected to a constant water pressure of approximately 100 psi (most cases) or more, several times a day. This constant pressure will in turn lead to damage from wear and tear.

We are always prepared to handle irrigation repairs and breaks, but sometimes these repairs can be costly. For instance, many small repairs when billed together, can add up to several hundred dollars. It is never our intention to place a financial burden on our clients, but failing irrigation has been an increasing trend, that we believe will continue unless the weather changes. In order to control costs, we are willing to bid irrigation repair work, but the biggest drawback of the bidding process is the time it takes to complete. During the bidding process, the plant material being sustained by the broken irrigation may die, which will lead to costly plant replacement along with the needed irrigation repair. Please ask you Account Manager about “smart timers”, master valves and pressure regulators. All three of these tools may help in costly damage and water over usage in case of an irrigation break. The “smart timer” technology uses water only as needed, and is the most accurate means of watering. “Smart timers” will keep the watering frequency to a bare minimum. In the event of a leak or large break, a master valve will close and prevent water from continuing to run into the irrigation system. Pressure regulators are just that, pressure regulators; they maintain water pressure in areas with unusually high water pressure. Pressure regulators can lessen the burden on joints and fittings within the irrigation system.

We are charged with the responsibility of keeping your landscape in state of perpetual growth. In order to do that we need your cooperation and we need the ability to maintain and make necessary irrigation repairs as needed. We ask that you trust us to use discretion in making only necessary repairs and nothing more. For any major repairs we will defer to the Board or Managing agent for direction, before we proceed. We also ask that you report any small leaks or breaks immediately.

By Harvey De La Torre, MWDOC Principal Analyst

What are water supply allocations?
To prepare for mandatory reductions and manage a reduced water supply, MWDOC and its client water agencies engaged in a collaborative effort to determine the most fair and equitable manner to allocate water during a shortage. Under a formula that considers many factors – such as water demands, local supply investments, conservation efforts, and retail economic impacts – a regional Water Supply Allocation Plan was developed. The Plan reduces each water agency’s imported water deliveries in a way that does not severely impact a water agency that is heavily dependent on imported water, but takes into account the efforts water agencies have done to reduce their dependence on imported water. Mandatory reductions are not “rationing” in the strict sense of the term. An allocated amount of water will be provided through the formula, and if one exceeds this allocation a penalty will be assessed. The Allocation Plan does not limit an agency’s access to imported water beyond its allocated amount, it simply requires a higher rate for that excess water.

Why are we in allocations?
There are three primary factors limiting our water supply. First, the Colorado River is not providing any surplus water, as it has in previous years. Second, State Water Project supplies are reduced due to recent pumping restrictions to protect the Delta smelt (regulatory drought). Third, the State entered into its third consecutive year of drought. With these three factors combined, Metropolitan does not anticipate having enough water to meet expected demands this year. As a result, Metropolitan must allocate the limited water supply it has among its member agencies. To do so, Metropolian is calling for all retail water agencies to reduce their water usage in order to make demand meet available supplies. The impact on the end user is mandatory conservation.

How have water agencies planned for this?
Water agencies plan for wet and dry years, realizing that in order to maintain a growing population and economy, water reliability is essential. To ensure water reliability, water providers diversify their water resource portfolios and invest in local supplies to offset dependence on imported water. To achieve this goal of a diverse water resource portfolio, a number of investments were made in the areas of water conservation, recycled water, groundwater, and surface water storage. Metropolitan and its member agencies, including the Municipal Water District of Orange County, developed water resource planning documents such as the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), Regional Urban Water Management Plans, and a number of infrastructure planning documents to outline how southern California can remain reliable for 30 years and beyond.

What have water agencies done to prevent customers from facing mandatory conservation?
Metropolitan and retail water agencies have engaged in a number of water demand management measures to avoid mandatory conservation. One such action is the draw-out of two million acre-feet from Metropolitan’s water reserves in the past three years. In 2009, Metropolitan expects to pull out an additional 250,000 acre-feet, leaving only 25% in reserves for the coming years. In addition, a number of water exchange agreements were approved by Metropolitan with water agencies in Nevada and Arizona. These exchanges call for taking surplus water from the Colorado River today in exchange for returning water to these agencies in the later years. Metropolitan’s Board has also authorized water purchases from the California Department of Water Resources’ Drought Water Bank.

Locally, water utilities in Southern California engaged in a five-year action plan to accelerate local water resource projects and implement extraordinary conservation measures. Through the partnerships with water agencies and additional funding from Metropolitan, local water agencies identify local projects in their service area that could be accelerated to be on-line in the next couple of years to offset imported water demands. Projects in Orange County range from recycled water to ocean desalination.
 
What does a Stage 2 water shortage mean to Orange County?
Under the MWDOC regional Water Supply Allocation Plan, Stage 2 is a water supply shortage of 10%. In other words, water supplies are 10% short of meeting expected demand. The impact to each water agency varies depending on its water supply portfolio. Orange County, as a whole, has a diversified water portfolio, ranging from recycled water to groundwater recovery. Overall, imported water makes up approximately 50% of all water consumption in the county. Within Orange County, location dictates water supply. Northern Orange County, for example, relies more on groundwater pumping from the groundwater basin. In southern Orange County, groundwater is scarce, and most water agencies rely anywhere from 95% to 100% on imported water.  Because the supply shortage impacts imported water, the level of mandatory reduction differs depending on your location within the county. The areas more dependent on imported water will see a higher call for reduction versus the areas that have access to more local supplies.

How is MWDOC mitigating stage 2 impacts?
MWDOC adopted a melded allocation penalty plan whereby regional water conservation and local resource production can be used to mitigate difficulties by an individual agency in adhering to mandatory conservation goals. In addition, MWDOC and the Family of Orange County Water Agencies are aggressively promoting their water use efficiency programs, developing a countywide outreach program, and carefully monitoring local and regional water consumption.

What can Orange County residents do to help?
No matter where you live in Orange County, this water shortage will impact you. We all need to do our part to eliminate water waste and use each drop as efficiently as possible. In the meantime, we must work together to find a solution for the Delta to restore our water supply and delivery system. For tips on how you can reduce your water use, visit www.bewaterwise.com. For specific mandatory conservation requirements in your area, please contact your local water provider or visit www.mwdoc.com for a list of retail water agencies in Orange County.

WATER: Do More With Less

Click here to read more about water supply allocations

By Wayne Clark

Metropolitan Board Calls for Water Allocations

On April 14th, 2009, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California declared a Stage 2 water shortage and implemented its Water Supply Allocation Plan affecting 19 million people. At Stage 2, this Plan calls for a 10% region-wide reduction in water consumption. The Municipal Water District of Orange County, the regional water importer for 2.3 million Orange County residents, followed suit and declared a regional water shortage. MWDOC then took action and implemented its regional water supply allocation plan. The overarching question is, “Why?”

For the last three years we have received below-average rainfall. Until recently, we have been able to meet demand with the stored water we have saved over the last decade and a half. In December of 2007, a federal court judge imposed pumping restrictions on when water can be moved through the pumps and to other areas of the state. This court mandate was a result of judicial actions taken to preserve the Delta smelt. Consequently, a biological opinion has reduced the water that can be pumped by as much as 50%. Rainfall is not why we are calling for mandatory conservation; we are in mandatory conservation because we are experiencing a regulatory drought. Twenty-five million Californians in central and southern California rely on water that is delivered from the Sacramento Bay Delta through the State Water Project. So what does that mean to us at home in Orange County?

Orange County, as a whole, has a diversified water portfolio. Overall, imported water makes up about 50% of all water consumption. Within Orange County, location dictates water supply. North Orange County, for example, is more dependent on groundwater pumped from the groundwater basin. The groundwater basin, however, relies on imported water to help sustain it and keep sea water from entering into the aquifer. Southern Orange County is anywhere from 95%-100% reliant on imported water. As such, the level of mandatory conservation required throughout the county is different depending on where you live. What is not different is that we are all dependent on imported water to some level and, as a result, we all need to eliminate water waste, use each drop as efficiently as possible, and work together to find a solution for the Sacramento Bay Delta that will restore our water supply. For specific mandatory conservation requirements, please contact your local water agency. For information on how to eliminate water waste and to be more water efficient, please visit www.mwdoc.com.

Water: Do More With Less.

TO OBTAIN A REBATE RESERVATION PRIOR TO THE PURCHASE OF ANY DEVICE!

CALL (877) 728-2282

www.mwdsaveabuck.com

New water-saving devices have been added.

Please see chart below for further information.

Program Description

Save water – Save money! This program is free to the participants and is designed to assist commercial, industrial and institutional customers in replacing high-flow devices with those low-flow devices in the table below. Facilities where low-flow devices are installed must be located in Orange County.

• Rebates are available only on the devices listed below and must replace higher water use devices.
• Installation of the devices is the participants’ responsibility.

How to Participate

• Call 1-877-728-2282 T0 RECEIVE A REBATE RESERVATION and information on qualifying devices and rebate amounts, and receive your program application.
• Purchase and install as many of the water saving devices listed below as applicable.
• Complete and return the program application with a copy of your purchase receipt(s).
• Your application will be processed to confirm compliance with program requirements. A program representative may conduct an on-site inspection to confirm installation.
• Once the application is verified, the rebate check will be mailed to you.

Retrofit Devices and Rebate Amounts Available Under This Program

• High Efficiency Toilet
• High Efficiency Urinal
• Zero Water Urinal
• High Efficiency Commercial Clothes Washer
• Cooling Tower Conductivity Controller
• PH Cooling Tower Conductivity Controllers
• X-Ray Film Processor Re-Circulating System
• Steam Sterilizer Retrofits
• Water Pressurized Broom
• Connectionless Food Steamers
• Pre-Rinse Spray Valves
• Rotating Nozzles for Pop-Up Spray Heads
• High-Efficiency Sprinklers for large landscapes
• Synthetic Grass
• Dry Vacuum Pumps

New Construction Upgrades

• High Efficiency Toilet Upgrade
• High Efficiency Urinal Upgrade
• Zero Water Urinal Upgrade

The bill (AB-1881), roughly stated, stipulates that all water agencies must develop and implement water conservation plans for urban landscapes (both association landscapes and commercial landscapes) that adhere to the recommendations made by the California Urban Water Conservation Council (CUWCC) for water conservation in urban landscapes. Since 1995 the CUWCC has been recommending the implementation of “smart timer” technology for all urban landscapes. The new law brought forth by bill AB-1881 will essentially make it mandatory for all urban landscapes to utilize “smart timer” technology by the year 2010. “Smart timer” technology in essence is satellite controlled irrigation timers. There are many different types of “smart timers”, each with its own theory on the most reliable control standards for accurate watering, however, studies have shown that the most effective of these timers are “ET” based timers. “ET” stands for the term “evapotranspiration” which in turn, is the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration. Evaporation accounts for the movement of water to the air from sources such as the soil, canopy interceptions, and bodies of water. Transpiration accounts for the movement of water within a plant and the subsequent loss of water as vapor through stomata in its leaves. The evapotranspiration process is the most important part of the water cycle in regards to urban landscapes.

As landscape professionals, we at Harvest Landscape Enterprises, Inc. have found the HydroPoint WeatherTRAK® ET controllers to be the most reliable. The technology utilized for this brand of ET controllers was developed in conjunction with the Irvine Ranch Water District, one of, if not the most water efficient agency in Southern California. We find the WetherTRAK® ET controllers to be extremely reliable and efficient. Now this technology is not inexpensive, but the sooner you have it installed the less you will actually pay for the timers. Currently there is a rebate program offered by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. With this rebate program you will be eligible for a rebate of up to $630.00 per “smart” irrigated acre if you purchase and install a “smart timer”. The WeatherTRAK® ET controllers not only qualify for the rebate, they are the benchmark. The rebate is not the only incentive for the inhabitants of urban landscapes; it is not unusual for the WeatherTRAK® ET controllers to achieve up to 30% in water savings.

We strongly recommend this technology and we feel it is a great way to help both your pocket book as well as the growing water crisis in the State of California. Please contact us at any time if you would like more information on this product.