Coachella Valley water use continued to tick downwards in July, more conservation needed

Erin Rode, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·5 min read
Landscapers plant low-water plants as part of the xeriscape landscaping on public spaces in Palm Springs, Calif., on August 3, 2022. State regulations require cities to replace ornamental grass with xeriscape landscaping to reduce water usage.
Landscapers plant low-water plants as part of the xeriscape landscaping on public spaces in Palm Springs, Calif., on August 3, 2022. State regulations require cities to replace ornamental grass with xeriscape landscaping to reduce water usage.

Water use in the Coachella Valley continued to tick downwards in July, but conservation is still falling short of the state’s goal of a 15% reduction compared to 2020, according to data released by the State Water Resources Control Board this week.

But the July water use numbers do continue a trend of reduced water use that began in June, a marked shift from May and other previous months in which local water districts actually increased — rather than decreased — water use compared to 2020 baseline numbers. 

That shift corresponds with several new restrictions on water that took effect in June, including a statewide ban on watering "non-functional" turf in the commercial, institutional and industrial sectors that took effect June 10. 

Myoma Dunes, Desert Water Agency, Coachella Valley Water District, Mission Springs Water District and Indio Water Authority all decreased July water use compared to 2020. Coachella’s Water Division was the only local water agency that saw an increase in July water use compared to 2020, by 1.5%.

At a press conference in Palm Desert earlier this week, state and local officials called on Coachella Valley residents to increase water conservation this fall while officials work on securing additional sources of water as drought conditions continue.

"We’re working urgently with local water agencies to get projects in the ground that help us adjust to these hotter, drier conditions driven by climate change," California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said on Tuesday. "This includes projects to expand water recycling, recharge groundwater basins and more. We also need the help of all Californians to conserve water this fall, which will help us stretch water supplies while these projects get built."

Hotter and drier weather is expected to reduce California’s water supply by up to 10% by 2040. In July 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for Californians to reduce water usage by 15% compared to 2020 levels.

The calls for increased conservation come as climate change has contributed to the western United States experiencing one of the worst droughts on record, with a recent study finding that the current megadrought beginning in 2000 is the driest in at least 1,200 years. More than 97% of California is currently experiencing severe, extreme or exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Myoma Dunes, which serves roughly 8,900 people in Bermuda Dunes and a corner of La Quinta, again posted the most water savings in July, reducing water use by 15.4% compared to July 2020, making it the only Coachella Valley water district to meet the 15% goal in July. However, Myoma Dunes also has one of the highest per-capita water use numbers in the state, providing the water district with more room to cut than other districts in the valley and across the state.

Desert Water Agency and Coachella Valley Water District cut back their July water use by 11.4% and 4.4%, respectively. The Indio Water Authority cut its July water use by 8.5%, and Mission Springs Water District reduced by 5.2%.

Gallons per day per residential customer in July: 

  • Myoma Dunes: 388

  • Desert Water Agency: 322

  • Coachella Valley Water District: 278

  • Indio Water Agency: 165

  • Coachella Water Division: 116

  • Mission Springs Water District: 116

Coachella’s Water Division, the only local water agency that saw an increase in July compared to 2020, is also one of the valley’s lowest water users, leaving them with “less fat to trim,” as Coachella Utilities Manager Castulo Estrada previously told The Desert Sun. 

Statewide, the average gallons per day per residential customer in July was 104 gallons, the second lowest July figure in the past decade. The lowest was 98 gallons in 2015, when the state issued its first-ever mandatory water restrictions.

The state overall reduced water use by 10.4% in July compared to July 2020. Cumulatively, statewide water use is down by 3.4% from July 2021 to July 2022 relative to the 2020 baseline, still far below Newsom’s goal of 15%.

None of the Coachella Valley water agencies have yet reached a cumulative reduction of 15% from July 2021-July 2022 compared to the same months in 2020, although Myoma Dunes is currently closest with a cumulative reduction of 7.7%.

July 2021-July 2020 water use compared to the 2020 baseline:

  • Myoma Dunes: Down 7.7%

  • Desert Water Agency: Down 3.4%

  • Coachella Valley Water District: Up 1.9%

  • Indio Water Agency: Up 2.1%

  • Coachella Water Division: Up 6.9%

  • Mission Springs Water District: Down 1.8%

Only 19 of the roughly 400 water districts in the state have reached that cumulative 15% goal, with the majority of those districts concentrated in the northern part of the state. However, over 100 water districts reached the 15% reduction for July 2022 versus July 2020.

Local conservation efforts

In June, the State Water Board adopted an emergency regulation that required urban water suppliers to implement their Water Shortage Level 2 demand reduction actions by June 10. These actions vary by district, but in the Coachella Valley, they largely include regulations like banning spray irrigation during daylight hours and requiring restaurants to only serve water upon request.

Water conservation actions:

Local water agencies have also increased turf conversion rebate amounts and upped their water waste patrols, and CVWD customers will also receive higher water bills if they fail to reduce their monthly outdoor water use to 10% below their outdoor water budget. 

Other parts of Southern California are seeing stricter cuts to outdoor watering. . The Metropolitan Water District took the unprecedented step of limiting outdoor watering to one day a week starting June 1 for millions of Southern California residents in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties, and officials there have also warned that they could institute a full outdoor watering ban as soon as September if conservation does not improve. 

About 4 million Los Angeles County residents are currently under a 15-day outdoor watering ban while crews make emergency repairs to a pipeline. 

Erin Rode covers the environment for the Desert Sun. Reach her at erin.rode@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @RodeErin. 

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Drought: Coachella Valley water use continued to tick downwards in July