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Ripon reduces water use 18% in January
RIPON water.jpg

It’s been a wet year thus far.

Just how much is still too early to determine, according to Ted Johnston.

He’s the Director of Public Works for the City of Ripon, referencing, of course, the recent rains throughout the area.

“We’ve been monitoring the ground water and right now we’re at pre-drought levels,” Johnston said on Thursday.

Pre-drought is the levels prior to 2013, which is also used as the baseline measurement for the current water conservations figures.

Last week, Johnston gave his water reduction report to the Ripon City Council. For January, the City reduced its water consumption by 17.9 – or 18 percent – using the baseline comparison.

Ripon’s 12-month running tally was a 23.1 percent in reducing water usage. “That’s not calculating growth,” he added.

According to the California Department of Water Resources, 2017 was the second-wettest year for the state since the record-breaking drought.

The past year was considered dry.

The water year 2018 was indicative of the state’s ongoing transition to a warmer climate, which after years of extreme variability in annual precipitation, resulted in the recent wildfires, the California Department of Water Resources said.

Johnston, meanwhile, is predicting promising water-reduction numbers for February given the recent rains.

“None of the sprinklers at our parks have been in use so far this month,” he said.

Information on water reduction along with the outdoor watering schedule for homes can be obtained by logging on to www.cityofripon.org.