Our Water
San Clemente must import most of its water as it does not have much in the way of native water sources. Our community is now large enough that we are served by multiple water districts, with the Santa Margarita Water District serving most of Talega and the City essentially serving the remainder of our community.
But regardless of which entity pipes water to our home, we all recognize that water is a precious commodity. With water levels near historic lows, we must develop alternate water sources for San Clemente as a whole and also focus on conservation efforts.
San Clemente has made great strides to increase the use of reclaimed water and should be commended. Both San Clemente and Santa Margarita Water District are working with different desalination projects, which I fully support.
In terms of conservation, as a member of the Budget & Finance Committee for Talega, I have made water usage and use of draught resistant landscaping a high priority, not only for sake of water conservation but also for budgetary concerns. To date Talega has been successful in reducing its total water usage. In fact, Talega’s contract landscaper recently received an award for its recycling program, water usage and plant choices. Such efforts should also be made citywide.
