Despite triple-digit temperatures in September, the City of Lathrop still managed to curtail its water use to predrought levels as the State of California has asked.
Water use across the board in Lathrop was down almost 17 percent in September from 155.66 million gallons in 2013 to just 130.25 million gallons this year. While the number is below the threshold set by the state for mandatory reduction, the percentage during other months typically washes with the summer months when consumption is at its peak.
For example, in August Lathrop used 144.05 million gallons of water as compared to 179.96 million gallons of water during the same in 2013 – for a 20 percent reduction when compared to the baseline year used to assess averages.
The city has maintained its conservation efforts through a combination of education and enforcement – reducing the number of days that outdoor watering is allowed, restricting times that people can water outdoors and instituting prohibitions on specific uses.
While Lathrop had no complaints in August, the city issued two warnings to homeowners who were violating the city’s watering policy after complaints were filed. Both of those cases were investigated, and subsequent violations could lead to citations.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.