Municipal Drought Vignette

It's been 20 years since the 2002 drought when half the supply for 1.5 million people was dangerously low and a massive fire posed ongoing threats to the system. 

Faced with these challenges and a population that's grown by more than 800,000, a multipronged solution has included investments in storageImage Caption, environmental partnerships to protect watersheds, water reuse and water conservation. These investments continue, costs continue to rise and water providers have a budget each year that's dependent on revenue from rate payers (customers).  

Making a drought declaration is not just a water decision but a financial one that, once enacted, may or may not leave water in the native basin depending on when water is actively pumped. In 2021, restrictions weren't declared but if 2022 is extremely dry the utility will have to consider this option.

What would you do?