Water usage in the city of San Luis Obispo increased at a higher rate in August than it did in any other California city, a state report shows. [KSBY]
Statewide, water usage decreased by 11.5 percent from July to August. But, water use in San Luis Obispo increased by 26 percent in August.
Excluding Cal Poly, which was included in the calculation, San Luis Obispo’s water usage increased by 19 percent. That rate would still have qualified as the highest increase in the state.
The next highest jump was Compton at 10 percent.
San Luis Obispo water manager Wade Horton said the city’s increase is due to tourism.
“We had a good tourist month in August, and I anticipate that we will find hotels were occupied,” Horton said. “San Luis Obispo has embraced that conservation mentality for over 20 years now.”
