Portola Valley, CA
Home Sitemap ContactDrought Action
Looking for ways to save watering during the Winter?
Look at the progression of California's drought since 2011 (Data from The U.S. Drought Monitor):
2014 Drought Progression Video
In 2013, Portola Valley residential water consumption was 305 gallons/person/day, up from 283 in 2012. By way of comparison, the Bay Area average per capita was 79. Since 70% of Portola Valley residential water usage is outdoors there are many opportunities to cut consumption by 25% as mandated by Governor Jerry Brown. (In Portola Valley, we expect to actually need to cut consumption by 35% since we are in the heaviest consumption tier: more than 165 gallons/person/day.) Click here to learn how you can calculate your household's water consumption. Click here to see a chart showing the distribution of water consumption across Portola Valley residents.
Speaking broadly, there are 4 main ways to conserve water:
1. Behavior Change
- be aware of the value of water
- be more careful and conscientious in our water use
- utilize Water Saving Tips
2. Landscape with plants appropriate to our semi-arid climate
- reduce or eliminate lawns
- follow recommendations in Water Efficient Landscaping
3. Install water saving technologies
- install low-flow toilets (generally already done unless your house is relatively old)
- upgrade to a water-efficient washing machine
- install a Smart Irrigation Controller and Efficient Spray Heads
4. Expand the supply of water with approaches such as Rainwater Catchment and Graywater Reuse