Three FPUD meetings to address questions about water cutbacks

FALLBROOK – The Fallbrook Public Utility District will hold three public meetings to help customers understand the drought, mandatory reductions, and how they will impact the different types of customers within the district’s service area.

FPUD has been ordered by the State Water Board to reduce water usage by 36 percent.

A meeting Wednesday, June 24, from 6 to 7 p.m. will be geared toward commercial customers. Letters detailing their specific allocations are being mailed to all commercial customers this week.

The next night, Thursday, June 25, from 6 to 7 p.m., the meeting will be geared toward farmers who have voluntarily enrolled in the Special Agricultural Water Program, or SAWR. The SAWR program involves a contract with the San Diego County Water Authority whereby farmers purchase discounted water for their business. In exchange, they agree to be the first customers to be cut back, before any residential or business customers are cut back, in a drought or emergency water situation. Enrollment in the SAWR program has saved growers hundreds of thousands of dollars when not in a drought situation. Letters with their allocations are also being mailed to them this week.

On Monday, June 29, from 6 to 7 p.m., a meeting will be for all residential customers. Residential customers are being required to reduce outdoor irrigation to two days per week for 10 minutes per station. Customers have begun receiving messaging in their bills this month.

All meetings will be held at the district office, 990 E. Mission Road.

All three meetings will be designed to help customers understand, step-by-step, how the district will implement the 36 percent mandatory water cutback imposed by the state.