Tri-Valley Water Agencies Ask Customers to Reduce Water Use by 10% from Last Year

News Release

“Please voluntarily reduce water use by ten percent from last year.” That’s the request from the Tri-Valley’s water agencies – Zone 7 Water Agency, California Water Service (Cal Water), the Cities of Livermore and Pleasanton, and Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) after Governor Gavin Newsom included Alameda County in his emergency drought declaration.

“The Tri-Valley has multiple sources of water supply storage, including its local groundwater supplies. This allows us to withstand the occasional dry winter,” says Zone 7 Water Agency General Manager Valerie Pryor. “However, after two especially dry years in a row, we cannot rely on storage alone. Since we do not know how long these dry conditions will last, we need to start saving water now so our community will have more water available next year.” As drought conditions evolve, the Tri-Valley’s water agencies will continue to provide water use updates.

During the extreme drought in 2014-2015, Tri-Valley residents and businesses demonstrated a great ability to respond, adapt, and conserve water. In the years following, customers continued to use water responsibly and water use has not returned to its pre-2014 levels. This past response has encouraged Tri-Valley water agencies that the community will continue to show its commitment to water conservation this year.

The average homeowner uses 60% – 70% of their water on outdoor landscaping. If you have a yard, this means the most effective way to reduce your total water use is through minimizing outdoor irrigation and only watering between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. to reduce evaporation. If you do not have outdoor landscaping, the most efficient way to reduce your water use is by only running your washing machine and dishwasher when you have a full load.

It is also critical to repair water leaks immediately. Toilets can be a source of sneaky leaks and toilet flappers only have a useful life of 1-2 years. To check if your toilet is leaking, put a few drops of food coloring in the tank (located behind the seat) and wait 15-20 minutes. If there’s color in the toilet bowl, you have a leak, and the solution may be as simple as getting a new flapper.

For more tips and tricks on ways to conserve water, visit the Tri-Valley water agencies’ websites: