Hollister
– After a rainy season with record dry weather, more than 20
county residents south of San Juan Bautista may be facing limited
water and dry lawns in the coming months.
Hollister – After a rainy season with record dry weather, more than 20 county residents south of San Juan Bautista may be facing limited water and dry lawns in the coming months.
On Wednesday, the San Benito County Water District’s Board of Directors will discuss the water shortage in the Harmony Hills Water System, a group of homes in the hills above the San Juan Valley. Water district manager John Gregg said a succession of dry years has left the system dangerously low on water, so the board must consider prioritizing the use of what remains.
“We want to meet human needs, sanitation needs, fire protection needs before you get around to all those other things,” Gregg said.
For one thing, the district may require any homeowner who wants to water anything outdoors to submit an irrigation plan for approval. Some watering may be allowed to save long-term landscaping, Gregg said, but swimming pools won’t get filled and green lawns will probably be turning brown.
Phil Pearce said he helped build the Harmony Hills system and managed it before the county took it over in 2002, and his San Juan Canyon Road home still receives Harmony Hills service. Pearce said he won’t be affected by water restrictions, particularly since his swimming pool is already empty, but he thinks the water district needs to get moving on system improvements.
“We have enough water and storage,” Pearce said. “The work just needs to be done.”
Board member Ken Perry said he supports some restrictions on water use, because it’s the only way to deal with a difficult situation.
“We’re just doing the best we can do with what we have,” Perry said.
Gregg said the water district could receive funding to improve the system in 2008. Until then, Harmony Hills residents will have to make do with untreated water from one well and one spring, and with any supplemental water the district can ship into the area.
“It is and was a failed water system,” Gregg said.
The National Drought Mitigation Center announced in April that San Benito County is experiencing its first drought in 15 years. However, Gregg said Hollister and San Juan Bautista aren’t facing shortages because of stored-up groundwater. Harmony Hills isn’t so lucky, because its system is bare-bones and because springwater is much more unreliable.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or
ah*@fr***********.com
.
