Heat, Fear Drive Water Consumption to a New High

San Diego suffered through a third day of record-breaking temperatures Tuesday as a stubborn high-pressure system encouraged dry, stagnant, smoggy air in the sweltering heat.

The siege of thermometer readings in the 90s and 100s--coupled with low humidity--intensified the fire hazard, fueled fears and discomfort, and increased water consumption to record-breaking levels.

City departments that handle weed control and open space maintenance have been deluged with calls in the wake of Sunday’s disastrous fire in Normal Heights. Angry callers expressed concern over parched city property adjacent to their homes.

“This condition has existed for 20 to 30 years, but when you have a disaster it becomes more personal,” said Bob Nelson, the city’s maintenance manager.

“They want some relief, they want dead trees, fallen branches, accumulation of materials, brush and annual weeds cleared. They want a buffer zone.”

Callers have screamed and threatened, Nelson said, adding, “It’s become an emotional issue. We’ve never been deluged like this before. We ran out of forms on Monday.”

Workers documented complaints, and managers said they plan to send inspectors to investigate. But the city owns 12,000 acres of open space, and there are neither enough maintenance workers nor available funds.

San Diego residents mindful of the fire threat have zealously watered private property since Sunday. Water consumption Monday shot to an all-time high, city hydrologist Gloria Lesher reported Tuesday.

The 314.25 million gallons consumed Monday surpassed the former high of 285.74 million gallons set on June 15, 1981. Just a week ago water consumption was recorded in the 240- to 255-million-gallon range.

Lesher said additional water flow from the County Water Authority was requested three times on Monday, and additional water was purchased on Tuesday.

Near-record consumption was expected to continue with the heat wave, but according to Arthur Bullock, assistant general manager for the San Diego County Water Authority, water has been stockpiled to meet the extra demand.

“I don’t see any immediate or long-range problems. We have the capacity to meet peak demands, and sufficient water is stored upstream at Lake Skinner,” Bullock said.

Temperatures dipped slightly in most areas of the county on Tuesday, but highs and lows still sizzled. Tuesday’s high of 94 degrees at Lindbergh Field eclipsed the former record of 83, set in 1957. The overnight low at the airport was only 75.

The heat proved too much for Superior Court Judge J. Perry Langford. Complaining that the air-conditioning system in the downtown courthouse was not working properly, Langford recessed the jury selection phase of the murder trial of Herman (Rock) Kreutzer, remarking that potential jurors should be “conscious” for the process.

There was cheering in the courtroom after the judge announced: “Enough is enough. We are going home.”

Around the county, temperatures reached 87 at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, 86 in Del Mar, 97 in Chula Vista, 90 in Imperial Beach, 105 in El Cajon, 99 in National City, 96 in Coronado, 106 in Lemon Grove and 103 at San Diego State University.

Humidity continued about 50% below average along the coastal strip, measuring 26% to 36%. Inland humidity remained characteristically low.

Energy consumption also remained heavy--up to 2,300 megawatts by 2:30 p.m. Tuesday--a 14-megawatt increase from Monday but short of the 2,340-megawatt record set in September.

San Diego Gas & Electric issued an advisory that urged its 870,000 customers to use “common sense” to conserve energy, but no need was foreseen for rotating outages, or “brownouts.”

The tenacious weather system pulled smog south from Los Angeles again Tuesday to compound the pollution generated by local rush-hour traffic.

Air Pollution Control District meteorologist Virginia Bigler-Engler said the visible smog that reached unhealthful levels will continue as long as the weather pattern holds.

“We don’t see the overall pattern changing at all this week,” she said, adding “very smoggy conditions” are expected today.

Four county stations recorded unhealthful air Tuesday. On the Pollutant Standard Index, downtown San Diego measured 150; Chula Vista, 125; Del Mar, 150, and Oceanside, 113. A smog alert is called at 200 PSI.

Smog will shroud the shoreline, but National Weather Service forecaster Richard Stitt said the beaches may be the only place to keep cool.

Some marine air is expected to move in off the ocean, pulled inland by a thermal low-pressure center in the desert.

Highs and lows may fall a few degrees today, but all areas will continue to have temperatures about 10 degrees above normal.

Daytime temperatures at the beach are expected to be in the 70s. The temperature of the sea is about 65. Forecasters said the surf may reach seven feet on south-facing beaches as Tropical Storm Dolores winds down out at sea.

Highs along the coast today are expected to range from 85 to 92, and from 81 to 88 on Thursday.