Drought surcharge and most water use prohibitions lifted
Concord – Following several months of storms bringing much needed rain and snow to California, at its April 5, 2023, Board meeting, Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) took action to officially modify its Drought Management Program. Most water use prohibitions have been lifted consistent with state mandates and the temporary drought surcharge will sunset at the end of the month.
After multiple years of drought conditions, California received record setting amounts of rain and snow through numerous powerful storms hitting the state since January. Storms have put needed water in reservoirs and banked snow in the mountains; those resources will provide more than adequate supplies to serve CCWD customers in the coming year.
CCWD depends on the Delta for the water supply that serves 500,000 customers in central and eastern Contra Costa County. Water is diverted under a contract with the federal government, and this year CCWD was allocated 100% of that contract supply—last year, CCWD only received enough supply to meet public health and safety needs (approximately 30% of its contract).
“We’ve endured several years of intense drought conditions and want to thank our customers for doing their part to respond to continued calls for conservation under a state-wide emergency,” said Ernesto A. Avila, District Board President. “We are in a much different situation as compared to April 2022 and accordingly, we have lifted several water use restrictions and ended the temporary drought surcharge. At the same time, we encourage customers to continue efforts to use water efficiently as we adapt to the ever evolving water supply conditions.”
The District offers numerous resources and rebates available for customers to support water use efficiency – all available at ccwater.com/conserve.
4.6.23 CCWD News Release – Board Ends Temporary Drought Surcharge (PDF)
Contra Costa Water District 2023 Rates – More info
