The Mountain View-Los Altos branch of the League of Women voters addressed a plethora of water supply and conservation issues during a March 6 consensus meeting on county water resources.

The good news, according to league members Ann Coombs and Jane Turnbull, is that 50 percent of county water comes from local wells. However, they noted that water coming from sources such as the Hetch Hetchy system, the San Luis Reservoir and the Bay Delta is susceptible to failing infrastructure.

“We have three major sources of water that have pipelines going across earthquake faults,” Coombs said.

Severe levee breaks in the delta could affect 19 percent of the county’s supply, she added, and algae in the San Luis Reservoir pose another potential problem with treating the water.

In regard to the Hetch Hetchy supply, the main source of water for local districts such as Purissima Hills in Los Altos Hills, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission - in charge of the supply - has not adequately maintained aging pipelines.

“They’ve done nothing,” Turnbull said bluntly.

The need for disaster preparedness and conservation were also major topics of discussion at the March 6 meeting.

“Conservation has been a really important aspect of water management in Santa Clara County,” Coombs said. She noted that water usage now is lower than it was in 1987 thanks to conservation efforts.

Noting a lack of new water sources, Turnbull quipped, “Conservation is the least expensive source of new water.”

Despite conservation, there will be increased demands on the finite water supply. Turnbull noted a 24 percent increase in water use in the county is projected by 2040, while the population is expected to grow 54 percent.

Regarding disaster preparedness, Turnbull said users should be prepared for a three-month backup supply in case of a major disaster, not the three days often suggested. She noted there are interlocking agreements among owners of wells to provide water in the event of an emergency.

League members favor recycled water for industrial water use and watering golf courses. They also hope the same environmental concerns going into building construction will extend to landscaping, such as certification of landscapers who work on projects that limit water use.

Turnbull touched on league concerns over privatization of the water supply.

“We think it is important for people to be aware of whether a water company is using its facilities well,” she said, noting local companies such as California Water Service Company, which handles the Los Altos supply, have been responsible in their operations.

Turnbull and Coombs said members will next break into committees to formulate proposals for league positions. Those proposals will be considered at the leagues’ countywide meeting in May.

For more information about the local League of Women Voters, call 941-4846.