The Equinox Center research group says the Santa Fe Irrigation District, which includes Rancho Santa Fe and Solana Beach, uses much more water per person than anywhere else in San Diego County. This, and more regional information, was included in the center's "Regonal Quality of Life Dashboard" released this month.
(Visit http://www.equinoxcenter.org/regional-dashboard.html for more information about water use and other regional issues.)
The county is expected to raise rates even higher next month because of an extra charge it has to pay for importing water.
San Diego and the Sweetwater District, which includes parts of South Bay, uses less than a hundred gallons per person per day, according to center research.
Valley Center residents use about 250 gallons per person. The Olivenhain District uses 272 gallons and the Santa Fe Irrigation District, which includes Rancho Santa Fe and Solana Beach, uses 544 gallons per person.
While sinks and showers use water, more than half of all residential water usage is landscaping.
Rancho Santa Fe has a whole lot of landscaping. Water use by residents is closely tied to lot size, which means the larger the lot, the more water used.
More water saved since mandatory water restrictions began, with usage in big lot areas dropping more than in urban areas like San Diego.
