Anyone who waters more than twice a week, showers the sidewalk or uses a decorative fountain without recirculating the H2O are among residents who will be in violation of new restrictions once they are officially in place.
A water conservation official Monday released further details on plans for local agencies to cut water use to meet the state’s mandatory 25 percent decrease.
Among the restrictions noted by Water Resources Association Program Manager Shawn Novack are those and others—including a ban against most landscaping between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.—as part of the state’s mandatory cutback.
Local water agencies are carrying out the governor’s requirement to cut use by 25 percent. Novack warned about restrictions on yard irrigation and sidewalk runoff in particular as they pertain to everyday residents.
Gov. Jerry Brown has ordered San Benito County and others throughout the state to cut use by 25 percent, from 2013 levels, due to the four-year drought and its effect on dwindling water supplies.
Although many details must be ironed out at the state level, the Water Resources Association of San Benito County is set to handle enforcement of the local rules, said Novack. He said he expects the state to have a final order in place at some point in May.
“All the things he has in there,” Novack said of the governor, “it’s kind of ambiguous how it’s going to pan out.”
Novack mentioned, for instance, how municipal and industrial users such as Ridgemark Golf & Country Club already cut back use by 75 percent due to prior, decreased allocations for federally imported “blue valve” water.
Novack on Friday morning met with Hollister City Manager Bill Avera and Sunnyslope Water District General Manager Don Ridenhour to discuss a cutback roll-out. The Hollister City Council is scheduled to consider an official action April 20, with Sunnyslope directors following suit the next day, said Novack, who expressed concern about the challenge of an immediate decrease of that size.
Novack said when he approaches residents violating the current restrictions, most people merely don’t understand the rules.
As for the new restrictions, Novack pointed to irrigation rules likely affecting everyday residents—such as a limit of twice weekly for watering lawns.
With enforcement, Novack said water agencies will depend, in large part, on community members who report violations.
Below is the full announcement from Novack released Monday:
Facing worsening drought conditions and water supply projections, the State Water Resources Control Board called for mandatory water restrictions with a goal of achieving a 25 percent reduction of water use throughout the state.
These restrictions include, but are not limited to:
- Water customers are required to reduce water consumption by 25% compared to their water use in 2013.
- Landscape watering shall be limited and restricted to no more than two (2) days per week.
- No watering of landscaping between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. by means other than drip irrigation or hand watering with a quick acting positive shut off nozzle.
- No washing down sidewalks, driveways, or other hardscape surfaces.
- No watering landscaping in a manner that causes runoff to adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, or parking lots.
- No washing of cars without the use of quick acting, positive shut off nozzle.
- No operation of decorative fountains or other water features unless the water is recirculated.
- Leaks, breaks, and malfunctions of irrigation systems and plumbing equipment causing waste of water shall be repaired and corrected within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the District Manger, General Manager or City Manager.
Local groundwater levels are 30 to 40 feet lower than their peak levels, reflecting the greater use of groundwater in 2014 and starting the year at a greater deficit in groundwater supplies than last year. The northern California Sierra snowpack, which is a key factor in the availability of imported water supplies, is only around 6 percent of normal.
San Benito County’s groundwater basin is the largest local “reservoir” of water, and the San Benito County Water District (SBCWD) works aggressively to protect these resources. With less water available to replenish our local groundwater basin, the increase in conservation is critical. Decreasing demand by cutting water usage will help protect groundwater storage. Our reservoirs that store local water (Hernandez and Paicines) have been empty for two years.
The SBCWD took action on Wednesday, April 1st by declaring a Water Shortage Emergency and implemented the District’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
All of the SBCWD’s agricultural customers have already been impacted by the drought because there was a zero allocation of water to agricultural customers last year and again this year. Small parcel and urban customers were also affected receiving only a fifty percent allocation last year and a twenty five percent allocation this year. SBCWD will still have sufficient water to operate the upgraded Lessalt Water Treatment Plant at seventy five percent capacity.
The City of Hollister plans to go to the City Council on Monday, April 20th to enact the above listed restrictions. Sunnsylope County Water District will follow suit on Tuesday, April 21st and San Juan Bautista will do so the same night.
To reach the goals of reducing water use twenty five percent it will take a concerted effort by the community. The Water Resources Association of San Benito County, which represents all the agencies listed above for their water conservation efforts, has many free programs and services to assist local residents. The agencies urge residents to call them to set up a free leak check and find out ways to reduce water use. They can be reach at: (831) 637-4378 or visit their website: www.wrasbc.org
