Agoura Hills Water District Declares Local Drought Emergency

AGOURA HILLS, CA — The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District unanimously voted to declare a drought emergency Tuesday, and intensified their drought mitigation efforts.

The decision closely follows Gov. Gavin Newsom's statewide drought emergency declaration on Oct. 19, as the state may enter its third consecutive year of drought.

The district, which covers Calabasas, Agoura Hills and Hidden Hills, relies almost exclusively on imported water. This water is allocated to the region by the State Water Project, which has already reduced their initial water allocations for the year as the water level in some state reserves hits record lows.

The district voted to move its water shortage contingency plan to phase three of four, which is the first stage that allows for mandatory water conservation efforts rather than voluntary.

Stage four is far more intense, as it restricts any outdoor water usage outside of what is necessary for public health. This move to stage three will hopefully save enough water in the reserves that the district won't have to move to stage four.

"The idea is to try to save as much water in the reservoirs as possible and to see how this water year unfolds —and try to head off stage four completely or as long as possible," said Joe McDermott, Director of Engineering and External Affairs.

The key difference in stage three is that the district will increase penalties for houses that go over their monthly water budget and will decrease every household's outdoor water budget by 25 percent.

Outdoor water use makes up around 70 percent of the district's water use like tending ornamental gardens or turf maintenance, McDermott said.

McDermott said the the district could end up with a 0 percent allocation from the State Water Project. This would mean the city receives only an essential amount of water for public health and lifestyle with no additional water for outdoor use, said Michael McNutt, Public Affairs and Communications Manager for the district.

The water district moved to stage two on July 20, but the district ended up increasing water use in September compared to September 2020. McNutt attributes some of this to civic fatigue, especially given the many pandemic rules and restrictions residents have adapted to.

"We've been largely unsuccessful with the voluntary efforts," McDermott said. He added: "We have a ways to go before we are in the clear."

McDermott said the decision is especially important given customer response time is often slow, so residents will need a couple months to change their habits, buying the district some time before that 0 percent allocation is announced.

Read More:

• Agoura Hills, You May Have To Cut Back On Your Water Usage... Again
• Newsom Declares Drought Emergency Across California