Cal Water asks customers to conserve water, lower demand on electrical grid
OAKLAND, Calif. - As California's heat wave causes threats of continuing rotating power outages, California Water Service on Monday asked its customers to conserve water use to lower demand on the electrical grid.
Cal Water assures they are doing everything they can to ensure water service is uninterrupted during power outages.
“Water systems rely on power to deliver water to our customers; however, we are doing everything we can to prevent any temporary water service interruptions caused by power outages,” said Marty Kropelnicki, President and CEO. “And, by working together and reducing our water use, we can all help ease the strain on the electrical grid and reduce the impact to our communities.”
A utility spokesperson said they have recently installed permanent and portable generators, which are tested regularly at critical stations to keep water flowing if power is interrupted.
Cal Water is also monitoring local water system levels and has activated its Emergency Operations Center to help mobilize extra personnel needed to support any district.
"We can bring in crews from other districts," Yvonne Kingman with Cal Water said. "In order to help electric companies, we're asking water customers to conserve."
As the heat wave is expected to last through the middle of the week, Kingman suggested turning off outdoor irrigation systems over the next few days would go a long way towards conserving.
Some of the more common ways to reduce water use, many Californians are already familiar with from recent drought years, include taking shorter showers, turning off the tap when brushing your teeth and shaving and only doing full loads for your dishwasher and when doing laundry.
Kingman said it's not just Cal Water customers who should be conserving, in fact many renters who don't pay their own water bill might be unaware of where their water service comes from. But that this is a statewide effort to conserve in order to alleviate the power grid.
Cal Water said they would reach out directly to customers in affected areas if there are any important updates to their water service in relation to the power outages.
"We have multiple ways of reaching our customers; email, text, and phone calls," said Kingman. They also post updates on their social media channels.