Dry winter no concern, says San Diego County Water Authority

There’s little need to worry about the region’s water supply through at least 2014, the San Diego County Water Authority is reporting.

Even if San Diego is in for another dry winter, the agency says, water levels should stay above the point where mandatory restrictions on water use would need to be implemented.

A big part of the reduced risk of water shortages is demand-based. According to water authority figures, regional demand for water this year is expected to total 573,000 acre-feet (about 18.7 billion gallons), down from 740,000 in 2007. Water imported from the Colorado River has also more than doubled during that time, from 73,350 acre-feet to 180,200.

Decreased use and increasing supply have resulted in a net increase in available water stored in San Diego's reservoirs from 1.8 million to 2.2 million acre-feet.

"Because dry spells are part of living in California, our region has invested heavily in infrastructure, conservation, and new water supplies to protect our economy and quality of life," said Thomas V. Wornham, the water authority’s board of directors chair, in a release. "We are in better shape than we were two years into the last drought, but we still need to practice smart water use no matter the weather."