Long Beach Hits Record Low Water Use in January

Long Beach Hits Record Low Water Consumption in January
Jan '09 was 19.3% below average; despite third hottest Jan. on record in LA County

LONG BEACH, CA - Today, the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners are praising the actions of Long Beach Water Department customers, who continue to shatter 10-year record lows for water consumption, during what is shaping up as the worst California water supply crisis in modern history. Long Beach water consumption for January '09 was 19.3 percent below the 10-year historical average. The 10-year historical average is from FY'98 to FY'07, which are the 10 years prior to Long Beach's call for extraordinary conservation and prohibitions on certain outdoor uses of water. January '09 was 8.8 percent below January '08. January '09 was the third hottest January on record in Los Angeles County, and Long Beach received only 0.17 inches of precipitation; whereas normal precipitation in Long Beach is 2.95 inches. January '09 is the thirteenth record setting month for low water consumption since September 2007.

Early last month, the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners issued a water supply ALERT for the City of Long Beach and southern California, due to extremely weak precipitation and snow pack in the northern Sierra Nevada; an uneventful forecast for northern California watersheds, including new predictions of dry La Nina conditions forming in the Pacific Ocean; extremely low water supply reserve levels; and the anticipated additional curtailment of imported water deliveries from north to south due to endangered species issues. The new ALERT urges Long Beach residents to sustain the City's record breaking reductions in water use. More importantly, Long Beach Water officials are urging area cities to engage their residents. "Our current water supply conditions should be a catalyst for southern California water supply managers to immediately increase action on extraordinary conservation measures, particularly prohibiting certain outdoor uses of water, stated John Allen, President of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners. "Southern California water suppliers should be practicing and preparing for the worst; hope is not an adequate strategy."

On September 13, 2007, the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners issued a Declaration of Imminent Water Supply Shortage and activated the City's Emergency Water Supply Shortage Plan. As a result, the Board of Water Commissioners issued mandatory prohibitions on certain outdoor uses of water. "The Board took the action it did, over a year ago now, to forestall and lessen the impact of an expected water supply shortage," according to Board president, John Allen. The Board's Declaration in 2007 was necessitated by the profound impact of permanent reductions to imported water deliveries into southern California; the dramatic reductions in water storage levels in key reservoirs in northern California; and climate realities.

Long Beach Conservation by the Numbers:

Note: The 10-year historical average is from FY 98 - FY 07, which are the 10 years prior to conservation. The 5-year historical average is from FY 03 - FY 07, which are the 5 years prior to conservation.

Month of January
10-yr High: 5,300 (January FY 07)
Historical 10-yr Avg: 4,950
Actual 10-yr Avg: 4,950
10-yr Low: 4,500 (January FY 00)
January FY 08: 4,400
January FY 09: 4,000
Historical 5-yr Avg: 5,100

Of Note:
- January FY 09 is 19.3% below Historical 10-year average
- January FY 09 is 21.5% below Historical 5-year average
- January FY 09 is 18.8% below the Actual 10-year average
- January FY 09 is 8.8% below January FY 08

January Year-to-Date
10-yr High: 21,900 (YTD FY 00)
Historical 10-yr Avg: 21,250
Actual 10-yr Avg: 21,100
10-yr Low: 20,250 (YTD FY 05)
YTD January FY 08: 19,600
YTD January FY 09: 17,800
Historical 5-yr Avg: 21,150

Of Note:
- January FY 09 YTD is 16.2% below Historical 10-year average
- January FY 09 YTD is 15.8% below Historical 5-year average
- January FY 09 YTD is 15.6% below the Actual 10-year average
- January FY 09 YTD is 9.1% below January FY 08 YTD

January FY 09 to January FY 08 Comparison
Demand
January FY 08: 4,400 AF
January FY 09: 4,000 AF

Precipitation:
Normal*: 2.95 inches
January FY 08: 5.89 inches
January FY 09: 0.17 inches

Temperature:
Normal*: 57.0 degrees
January FY 08: 55.0 degrees
January FY 09: 60.0 degrees
* Normal as defined by National Weather Service

Of Note:
- Demand for January FY 09 was 8.8% lower than January FY 08, even though it was much drier and warmer.

Running 12-month Total
Historical 12-month Average: 68,128
Recent 12 months: 60,057
Recent Conservation: 11.8%