120 replies to this topic

[john]

Pray for rain.

http://folsomtelegra...ail/104414.html

[Suburban Pool Service]

Wow I try to drive out to the lake at least once a week when I'm on the Granite Bay side servicing properties. I could have sworn the lake looked like it was about 20 ft higher than it had been the week prior. I took my wife out on a weekend and we drove around out there, when I went back last week the rocks that you see on the Granite Bay side that look like this ////// <----- hard for me to describe but used to be completely visible with the waterline being some 20-30 yards from the rocks had now been covered with water, only half of the rock formations were showing.

[Dave Burrell]

I hope Mr. Miklos takes this stage 3 situation, and the fact there's a serious drought, into consideration when discussing any and all future south of 50 development - the cold hard fact that is not enough water for Folsom let alone any new developments south of 50, should cease all discussions.

[eVader]

Or a rain dance - whatever it takes to see a good snowpack!

[M.E.G.]

Does anyone know what a Stage 3 Water Alert means?

M.E.G.

[john]

From what I can tell it means we start using water very sparingly. Water your lawn maybe once a week (if at all), no swimming pool water, ponds, etc.

Here's the lake level. Yes, it's going up. However if we continue to not get much rain, the lowest level will get a lot lower without extreme conservation measures.

http://cdec.water.ca...amp;geom=Medium

[gm2005]

I am all for conserving, but I am not sure how much more we (my household) can do. We already have not been watering our lawn at all, we haven't been washing our cars, we have high efficency washing machine (and always wash full loads), etc, etc.

I sure hope we start getting lots and lots of rain and snow, and soon.

[Bill Z]

Does anyone know what a Stage 3 Water Alert means?

M.E.G.

My thoughts exactly, it sure would have been nice if the telegraph would have listed what restrictions will be put in place if/when we go into a stage 3 condition.

[ducky]

This came from the City of Folsom Website.

C.Stage 3--Water Warning.
1.Water shall be used for beneficial uses; all unnecessary and wasteful uses of water are prohibited.

2.Water shall be confined to the customer's property and shall not be allowed to run off to adjoining property or to the roadside ditch or gutter. Care shall be taken not to water past the point of saturation.

3.Prohibit free-flowing hoses for all uses including vehicle and equipment washing, ponds, evaporative coolers and livestock watering troughs. Attach automatic shut-off devices on any hose or filling apparatus in use.

4.Leaking customer pipes or faulty sprinklers shall be repaired within 5 days or less if warranted by the severity of the problem.

5.All pools, spas and ornamental fountains/ponds shall be equipped with a recirculating pump and shall be constructed to be leakproof. Pool draining and refilling shall be allowed only for health, maintenance or structural considerations. Customer requests must be substantiated in writing by a pool consultant and approved by the city.

6.Landscape and pasture irrigation shall be limited to a maximum of 2 days per week when necessary based on the following odd-even schedule.

a.Customers with street addresses that end with an odd number may irrigate only on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

b.Customers with street addressed that end with an even number may irrigate only on Wednesdays and Sundays.

c.No irrigation is permitted on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

7.Automatic sprinkler system timers shall be set to operate during off-peak hours between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m.

8.Prohibit washing of streets, parking lots, driveways, sidewalks or buildings except as necessary for health, sanitary or fire protection purposes.

9.Restaurants shall serve water only upon specific request.

10.Hand and manual watering follows the same odd/even day schedule and may be done anytime during the cool parts of the day.

11.Homes equipped with drip systems may water using that drip system every day as long as there is no water runoff from the property.

12.Middle of the road landscapes (medians) are to be watered under the even schedule. No water shall over-shoot the planted areas or run off.

D.Stage 4--Water Crisis.

1.Water shall be used for beneficial uses; all unnecessary and wasteful uses of water are prohibited.

2.Water shall be confined to the customer's property and shall not be allowed to run off to adjoining property or to the roadside ditch or gutter. Care shall be taken not to water past the point of saturation.

3.Prohibit free-flowing hoses for all uses including vehicle and equipment washing, ponds, evaporative coolers and livestock watering troughs. Attach automatic shut-off devices on any hose or filling apparatus in use.

4.Leaking customer pipes or faulty sprinklers shall be repaired within 5 days or less if warranted by the severity of the problem.

5.All pools, spas, and ornamental fountains/ponds shall be equipped with a recirculating pump and shall be constructed to be leakproof. Pool draining and refilling shall be allowed only for health, maintenance or structural considerations. Customer requests must be substantiated in writing by a pool consultant and approved by the city.

6.Landscape and pasture irrigation shall be limited to a maximum of 1 day per week when necessary based on the following odd-even schedule.

a.Customers with street addresses that end with an odd number may irrigate only on Saturdays.

b.Customers with street addresses that end with an even number may irrigate only on Sundays.

c.No irrigation is permitted on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

7.Automatic sprinkler system timers shall be set to operate during off-peak hours between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m.

8.Prohibit washing of streets, parking lots, driveways, sidewalks or buildings except as necessary for health, sanitary or fire protection purposes.

9.Restaurants shall serve water only upon specific request.

10.No water from the city's system shall be used to fill or refill new swimming pools, artificial lakes, ponds or streams until the water crisis has been declared over.

11.Prohibit water use for ornamental ponds and fountains.

12.Washing of automobiles or equipment shall be done on the lawn or at a commercial establishment that uses recycled or reclaimed water.

13.No water from the city's system shall be used for construction purposes such as dust control, compaction, or trench jetting.

14.Hand and manual watering follows the same odd/even day schedule and may be done anytime during the cool parts of the day.

15.Homes equipped with drip systems may water using that drip system every day as long as there is no water runoff from the property.

16.Middle of the road landscapes (medians) are to be watered under the even schedule. No water shall over-shoot the planted areas or run off.

There's a Stage 5, too, called "Water Emergency."

Time to get out the rain barrels.

[cw68]

Methinks this is going to be the wave of the future. California has too many people using too much water compared to what water we have. As rain and snow levels decline, we see the repercussions.

For those of you who want ideas on how to conserve water, here are some helpful links:
http://www.h2ouse.org/
http://www.waterusei...serve/index.php
http://www.americanw....com/49ways.htm

There are lots of unique things we can do to really cut down on how much water we use:
http://www.gaiam.com...duct_id=02-0334

Other device ideas:
http://familyfinance..._saving_devices
http://www.acehardwa...bg-1267595.html

[john]

We had a Stage 5 water emergency a few years back when construction crews broke the city's main water line.

[petro]

take a trip to the American River Water education center at Folsom Dam. It has loads of ideas and demos on landscaping and better use of indoor water.916-989-7275.

[MikeinFolsom]

Why doesn't everyone already live within the confines of the "stage III" requirements? Why do we need the government to tell us to conserve water? Everything listed on that page we already do. Why is it a change for someone else?

[AMETHYST PRODUCTIVITY]

Why doesn't everyone already live within the confines of the "stage III" requirements? Why do we need the government to tell us to conserve water? Everything listed on that page we already do. Why is it a change for someone else?

Basically because Americans have become a people of excess. We use resources without thinking about how it affects those around us or our future. Everyone is always so focused on their own comfort in the here and now that nothing else matters.

[MrsTuffPaws]

Welp, there goes our plans of building a vegetable garden this spring.