Lawn Watering Reduced to 2 Days/Week
For immediate release: 6/9/22
Contact: Larry McKenney, General Manager
Amador Water Agency, 209-223-3018
PHOTO ATTACHED: Photo illustration of Lake Oroville courtesy of SaveOurWater.com
(Sutter Creek) Amador Water Agency Directors revised the requirements of their current Stage 1 – Water Alert, effective immediately, at their regular Board meeting Thursday. The revisions reduce permitted lawn watering from 3 days per week to 2 days per week, ban most irrigation of “nonfunctional turf” at commercial, industrial, and institutional properties, and mandate customers to reduce water use by up to 20 percent below their 2021 usage.
Directors noted the dry conditions in the watershed and alarmingly low levels in reservoirs throughout the state resulting from a third year of drought. The State recently adopted new drought emergency water use regulations and announced curtailment of many water rights, including AWA’s right supplying its upcountry system. During curtailment, AWA must rely on previously stored water.
“Our customers recognize the need to conserve and already have been reducing their water use,” said AWA General Manager Larry McKenney. “Today’s resolution brings AWA’s Stage 1 Water Alert into alignment with the State’s current water conservation requirements.”
AWA’s water conservation policy begins at Stage 1 – Water Alert for up to 20% conservation and can ramp up to Stage 4 – Water Emergency, targeting a 50 percent reduction in water use. The AWA Water Code allows for graduated enforcement of mandatory conservation measures but the Agency’s primary focus is customer education on the critical need to conserve water resources.
The updated list of the Stage 1 conservation requirements below can also be viewed at www.amadorwater.org.
AWA Stage 1 Water Alert Mandatory Conservation Measures (New and revised requirements are underlined):
- 1. All customers will observe practices to achieve up to a 20% reduction in their monthly water use over 2021 usage.
- 2. Discontinue watering lawns and gardens or any other irrigation between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
- 3. Require restaurants to only serve water to customers upon request.
- 4. All run-off and street flooding from outdoor irrigation is prohibited.
- 5. No unattended watering except where automatic shut-off equipment is used.
- 6. Automatic shut-off nozzles or valves are required when washing cars and other vehicles.
- 7. Washing sidewalks, driveways, patios, parking lots, and tennis courts with water is prohibited.
- 8. Emptying and refilling of swimming pools and hot tubs is prohibited.
- 9. Maintaining pools, hot tubs and fire protection storage facilities at normal operating levels is permitted.
- 10. Drinking water used in decorative fountains must be recirculated.
- 11. Drinking water may not be used in scenic ponds and lakes except for the minimum amount needed to support existing aquatic life.
- 12. No irrigation with potable water outside of newly constructed homes and buildings unless by means of drip or microspray systems for drought tolerant landscaping.
- 13. No irrigation during and up to 48 hours after measurable rainfall.
- 14. Fix leaks or faulty sprinklers within 7 day(s).
- 15. Water only two days per week for turf watering when using potable water. Trees should be watered separately from turf to retain tree health.
- 16. Plant containers, trees, shrubs, and vegetable gardens may be watered additional days using only drip irrigation or hand watering, provided that any such drip irrigation system or hose is equipped with a working and activated automatic shut-off device.
- 17. No irrigation with potable water of turf at commercial, industrial, and institutional sites where the turf is solely ornamental and not regularly used for human recreational purposes or for civic or community events.
At Thursday’s meeting, the AWA Board also adopted its budget for the next fiscal year and approved a process to conduct elections for directors in November.
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