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WATER SAVINGS SLIP BELOW 10%
Manteca water table drops 3 feet in July
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Manteca’s groundwater table dropped nearly three feet in July.

The drop occurred despite the city using its lowest amount of groundwater for the month of July — 203 million gallons — since 2003. Overall Manteca used 555 million gallons of water last month with the balance coming from the Stanislaus River watershed from water rights secured by the South San Joaquin Irrigation District.

The city is using just under 10 percent of what they did in July of 2013 when 609 million gallons of water was consumed. Use for July, that is the heaviest month for water use, has climbed back up to 2014 levels.

“But considering the growth that we have experienced in the last five years, I would say that we are doing OK,” noted Manteca Public Works Director Mark Houghton. “It has been pretty warm, but it seems that most have adjusted to the new watering requirements.”

Manteca has added more than 2,000 residents since last July. And since July 2013 when the city used 10 percent less water, the city has added almost 8,000 more residents to bring the population to 81,450.

State leaders are concerned California could face more drought conditions while at the same time growth continues to place stress on available water supplies.

Manteca’s water rules

The stricter water rules that were adopted for Manteca residents and businesses 39 months ago are as follows:

*No irrigation is allowed during or within 48 hours following measurable rainfall as defined by storms that generate run-off or puddles.

*No watering is allowed on Monday or any day between noon and 6 p.m. Watering for even addresses is on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday while odd addresses can water on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

*No water will be allowed on any day at any time for washing off sidewalks, driveways, patios, parking lots or other exterior non-landscaped areas without a permit obtained from the Manteca Public Works Department office at the Civic Center.

*No water will be allowed to flow into a gutter or other drainage area for longer than 5 minutes. All water leaks or malfunctions in plumbing or irrigation systems must be fixed with 24 hours.

Penalties include a written notice on the first violation, a $100 fine with applicable fees on the second violation that may be waived by attending a water conservation workshop; a $200 fine and applicable fees on the third violation; and $500 fines for each and every subsequent application plus applicable fees.

 

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com