10th Annual Children's Poster Contest Awards
Awards were presented on Wednesday, May 8, during City Council, to the winners of the 2013 Children's Poster Contest. Tristen Lujan, a third grader at La Mariposa Montessori, was the grand prize winner of the competition, among nearly 300 entries from Santa Fe students in first through sixth grade. Three posters were selected for each grade, and all 18 students receive trophies and prizes. The first and second place artwork from each grade will be featured in the 2014 Water Conservation Calendar, with the grand prize gracing the cover as well as being displayed on the back of a city bus for a year.
Watering Restrictions Begin May 1
Outdoor Watering Prohibited between 10 am and 6 pm and no more than three days a week
With water restrictions going into effect in May, city water managers want to remind Santa Feans that they cannot water between 10 am and 6 pm and no more than three times a week. In addition to limiting the time and number of days for outdoor watering, city water-use rules - Chapter 25 of the municipal code - also address other water-wasting habits:
- Outdoor swimming pools and spas must be covered when not in use.
- Vehicle washing at residences is limited to once per month, per vehicle, and must be done with a hose equipped with a "positive shut-off nozzle," one that automatically shuts off when not in use.
- Commercial car sale lots and other commercial and governmental entities with on-site vehicle washing facilities are limited to washing each vehicle one time per month except under certain circumstances.
- No one is allowed to use water to clean sidewalks, driveways, patios or other hard surfaces with a hose or power washer.
- Water from landscape irrigation cannot flow onto hard surfaces or neighboring properties.
- Hand-watering must be done with a hose quipped with a shut-off nozzle and overhead watering is prohibited for trees and shrubs.
- Turf grass sod or grass seed mixes cannot contain more than 25 percent Kentucky bluegrass.
- A permit is required for all new irrigation system installations.
Those who violate water-use rules can be fined up to $200. Violations are applied to water bills. Those who want to report water waste can call 955-4222. To report watering at City Parks call 955-2100.
Santa Fe Preparing for 3rd Consecutive Year of Drought
City water resource managers and decision-makers have been monitoring the drought conditions for the past two years. City water resources staff has kept up to date on the recent snowpack, reservoir levels and adverse weather conditions. According to Brian K. Snyder, Public Utilities Department and Water Utility Division Director, “The City has prepared planning documents, ordinances and operations plans for dealing with drought and over the past two years we have been implementing these strategies. Water conservation and drought awareness are cornerstones of the City’s comprehensive water planning approach, drought or no drought.”
The City has invested in a robust and diverse mixture of surface and ground water supply sources: Buckman well field, City well field, Canyon Road Water Treatment Plant on the Upper Santa Fe River, and the Buckman Direct Diversion on the Rio Grande. These water sources are supplemented by reclaimed wastewater reuse and water conservation. In case federal Bureau of Reclamation San Juan-Chama Project water is curtailed, the City also has several years’ worth of San Juan-Chama Project water stored in reservoirs. By resting the aquifer over the last 4 years there is increased groundwater supply for use in times of drought and the City can avail itself of this resource in a sustainable manner.
The City of Santa Fe is prepared for a third consecutive year of severe drought and heat. Should the drought conditions significantly worsen over the coming year, the City can invoke strategies to provide short-term relief from temporary drought-related water supply shortages, including mandatory water restrictions for certain types of water use.
Thanks to all of our customers that have used water wisely over the past 15 years, making more water available in times of drought. City policy makers are asking the community to continue using water wisely. Weather predictions show this drought continuing through the summer. Santa Fe can continue to be a drought-ready community and reduce the effects of a drought by taking advantage of rebates and incentives, installing water-saving devices, fixing leaks and following indoor and outdoor water use requirements.
Conserving for Future Generations
Santa Fe's long-standing water conservation and drought management programs are the best in the Southwest with respect to both comprehensiveness and effectiveness. A primary measure of Santa Fe's water conservation and drought management success is declining total annual water diversions (29%) to serve a growing number of customers (14%) since 1995.
The annual water diversions totaled 9,226 acre-feet in 2010, compared with 12,737 acre-feet in 1995, while the number of customers served by Sangre de Cristo Water increased to an estimated 79,244 people in 2010, from an estimated 67,839 in 1995.
For more information about water conservation in Santa Fe, download the Water Conservation and Drought Management Plan.
Landscape Irrigation Design Standards
Landscape Irrigation Design Standards (LIDS) represent the findings of a study to research options for improving irrigation efficiencies. The issues related to inefficient irrigation were researched with the conclusion that the development of an efficiency guide (LIDS) for irrigation systems is needed to provide a framework to improve irrigation system efficiency with the goal to protect our water resources.
The primary objective is to improve the design, installation, and maintenance of irrigation systems and to standardize all irrigation work by providing water resource information. Included is specific information for the City of Santa Fe. The intention of this guide is to serve as a resource for irrigation designers, landscape architects, contractors, developers, maintenance personnel, and water managers working for the improvement of landscape water efficiency in accordance with commonly accepted industry practice.
Download LIDS