BREA : Residents Curtail Water Use by 20%

After two months of voluntary water conservation, residents and businesses in Brea have cut consumption by 20%--double what the city had hoped to achieve.

In June the City Council passed an ordinance instituting a water management program. The first phase of that program called for a voluntary 10% cut in water use.

Although Patrick McCarron, director of maintenance services, expected Brea residents to respond, “I was surprised to see the actual numbers,” he said.

Brea residents have a history of responding with enthusiasm to the city’s environmental efforts. A recycling program has reduced solid waste by more than 25%, and nearly 90% of the households are complying with the program.

“They really take this stuff to heart,” McCarron said.

But even if Brea residents continue to curtail water use, there is no guarantee that the next step in the water ordinance, mandatory restrictions, won’t be enacted.