Home Conservation Drought Alert

Announcement Regarding California’s Drought Conditions

On March 24, 2023, Governor Newsom issued the latest Executive Order N-7-22 that eases drought emergency provisions due to current water conditions. Executive Order N-5-23 maintains certain measures that support communities still facing water supply challenges, and in hopes of building up long-term water resilience.
While recent storms have helped ease the immediate drought impacts, some regions and communities across the state continue to experience water supply shortages. Communities that rely heavily on groundwater supplies depleted from overreliance and successive multi-year droughts will continue to observe conservation measures.
The 2020-2022 period was the driest on record, and despite recent storms, we remain in a statewide drought emergency. While we are no longer in a Level 2 shortage and the call to voluntarily reduce water usage by 15% has been rescinded, the following restrictions remain in place:

– Wasteful water usage is still prohibited, which includes:

Outdoor watering that lets water run onto sidewalks and other areas (except incidental runoff)
Washing vehicles without an automatic shutoff nozzle
Washing hard surfaces like driveways or sidewalks that don’t absorb water
Street cleaning or construction site preparation
Filling decorative fountains, lakes, or ponds without a recirculation pump
Outdoor watering within 48 hours after at least 1/4 inch of rainfall
Watering decorative grass on public medians

– Watering decorative grass/Non-Functional Turf in commercial, industrial, and institutional areas, including common areas of homeowners’ associations (HOAs).

Conservation is a way of life in California and we all need to continue to do our part to save water. The next drought could be right around the corner. Remember, if everyone saves a little, we all save a lot! Help us conserve water with these helpful tips:

Outdoor:

Limit watering your yard to three days per week.
Water no more than 10 minutes per station and water early. Avoid watering during the heat of the day.
Fix any indoor or outdoor leaks within 5 days.
Adjust sprinkler heads to ensure there is no overspray or water running off your property.
Replace your lawn with California-friendly plants and save thousands of gallons a month.
Use a broom or leaf blower to clean outdoor areas instead of using a hose and save up to 6 gallons per minute.

Indoor:

Fix leaking faucets and running toilets. Save up to 20 gallons a day.
Fill the bathtub halfway or less and save 17-25 gallons per bath.
Wash full loads of laundry and save between 15 and 45 gallons per load.
Use a dishwasher instead of handwashing and save up to 24 gallons per load of dishes.
Install a new high-efficiency toilet and save up to 40 gallons per day.
Turn off the water when you brush your teeth and shorten your showers to 5 minutes. Save up to 25 gallons a day.

To see more ways to save water, check out our water saving tips page!

Link to California Drought Monitor: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA

Link to California Reservoir Levels: https://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/products/rescond.pdf