San Juan Capistrano is urging residents and businesses to conserve water by ceasing landscape watering and car washing while its imported water supplier shuts down its plant for a week this month. The shutdown also impacts other cities in south Orange County.
The Diemer Filtration Plant, the Yorba Linda-based water treatment plant that serves South County, is expected to perform necessary maintenance and upgrades from Jan. 25 through Jan. 31. The facility, owned and operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), provides much of all of South County's potable water needs through two regional water pipelines.
The City's groundwater recovery plant, which began operation in December 2004, will help offset impacts of the waterline shutdown that will leave much of south Orange County with little or no imported water. However, the shutdown affects the City's major supply line for all potable (drinkable) water entering the City, and San Juan Capistrano needs to conserve in order to maintain supplies in its reservoirs for drinking, sanitary uses and firefighting.
The shutdown also comes while the City has been imposing stricter water conservation enforcement and conducting water use education events. The City is under a mandate by MWD to reduce use by 10 percent this year or pay large penalties for exceeding its allotment.
Residents and businesses are urged to stop irrigating all landscape during the shutdown and conserve water wherever possible. All dedicated landscape and construction accounts are requested to turn off irrigation completely. During this period, City staff may be shutting off landscape and construction services if needed.
Please use water for essential and basic needs only. Remember the following tips:
- Please plan ahead: Delay new landscape and construction projects until after Jan. 21.
- Turn your sprinklers off completely, both in your own yard and in HOA common areas, during this period.
- Do not wash your car or other vehicles.
- Do not hose down your driveway, patio or other paved areas.
- Repair leaks and replace malfunctioning toilets.
- Do not refill fountains, spas, ponds or pools.
More information about the shutdown and the City's Water Conservation Ordinance are available on the City's Web site at www.sanjuancapistrano.org.
For information, call 949-493-1515.
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