20GC Home

About the 20-Gallon Challenge

Take the Pledge

Tips for Residents

Tips for Business

Programs & Incentives

Community Partners

Water Supplies

News & Events

Informacion en Espanol

School Zone

Multimedia

Helpful Links
The Water Conservation Garden - Demonstrating Water-Wise Landscaping Since 1999

Pledge to join the 20-gallon challenge!Click here to join the challenge!



Conservation has been a way of life in San Diego County for many years, but it’s especially important now. On June 4, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared California to be in a drought, and urged increase conservation to stretch the state's water supplies. The San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies are asking residents and businesses to increase voluntary water conservation immediately to help save an additional 56,000 acre-feet of water in 2008.

Despite early winter rain and snow levels that were at or slightly above normal, California experienced one of the driest springs on record. Our imported water supplies also are still recovering from historic dry conditions. Many state reservoirs had to be drawn down significantly to cope with dry conditions across California in 2007, and the Colorado River basin will take many years to recover from eight years of drought. As of January 2008, the two biggest reservoirs along the river, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, were still hovering record-low levels.

In addition on August 2007, a federal judge ordered severe pumping restrictions that will reduce water deliveries from the State Water Project, the source for 40 percent of all water used in San Diego County last year. These restrictions went into effect in late December 2007. As of May 2008, these restrictions had cut SWP water deliveries by 500,000 acre-feet.

This combination of conditions make water supply shortages and mandatory water restrictions increasingly likely. It is essential for residents, businesses, and public agencies to increase conservation immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions
Preguntas y Repuestas

The good news is, everyone can help the region conserve more water by joining the 20-Gallon Challenge. The 20-Gallon Challenge is a regionwide campaign to increase voluntary water conservation by 20 gallons per person, per day. Saving water now will help the region by allowing more water to stay in storage to meet demand next year.

Saving 20 gallons a day is easier than you might think. Some simple changes can make a big difference in your water use. Keep in mind that 60 percent of urban water use in San Diego is spent on landscape irrigation and other outdoor purposes, so make sure you think inside AND outside to maximize water savings.

The 20-Gallon Challenge is part of the San Diego County Water Authority’s Drought Management Plan.

In addition, the Water Authority has developed a Blueprint for Water Conservation in collaboration with its 24 member retail water agencies, along with business and community leaders. The Blueprint serves as a framework to plan and implement future conservation programs that can help the region achieve permanent, long-term water savings.

CONSERVATION TIPS FOR RESIDENTS
CONSERVATION TIPS FOR BUSINESSES


If your community group or organization would like to learn more about the 20-Gallon Challenge, water supply reliability, or other critical water issues affecting the San Diego region, visit our Speakers' Bureau web page or contact Teresa Penunuri, Community Relations Representative at tpenunuri@sdcwa.org to request a speaker. The Speakers' Bureau is a free service to the community.

Home | About |Take Pledge | Tips for Residents | Tips for Business | Programs & Incentives | Community Partners | Water Supplies |
News & Events
| Español | School Zone | Multimedia | Helpful Links

Website Feedback
To report content changes, broken links, or other website-related issues, please email 20gallonchallenge@sdcwa.org.

This site is best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer.