A 3-point-1 million dollar drop in water sales revenue last year for the Nevada Irrigation District is being blamed on draconian conservation measures mandated by the state. And NID General Manager Rem Scherzinger says if the mandate is extended through October of this year, customers could notice impacts on their bills…

click to listen to Rem Scherzinger

But Scherzinger says NID was still able to make all their water deliveries last year…

click to listen to Rem Scherzinger

In their news release, NID’s finance manager says the loss was balanced by increased hydroelectric generation revenues, under the district’s new power sale agreement with PG and E, and a reduction in budgeted expenditures. Also, the district says it’s water outlook is showing modest improvements from a stormier winter. Storage is now at 74-percent of capacity and seasonal precipitation at Bowman Reservoir is 108-percent of average. The State Water Resources Control Board will decide, after the final snowpack survey on April 1st, whether to reduce water conservation mandates for districts, including from 36 to 33-percent for NID. But Scherzinger says they’d like to drop it another point, and 28-percent would actually be more reasonable.