Cal Water Moves to Stage 2 of Water Shortage Contingency Plan in Five Districts, Irrigation Restrictions Now in Effect

Cal Water Moves to Stage 2 of Water Shortage Contingency Plan in Five Districts, Irrigation Restrictions Now in Effect

May 23, 2022 at 11:20 AM PDT

TORRANCE, Calif.-As part of its drought management and response plan, California Water Service (Cal Water) officially entered Stage 2 of our Water Shortage Contingency Plan yesterday in our Chico, Marysville, Oroville, Stockton, and Willows Districts. Stage 2 includes additional outdoor watering limits and increased water waste penalties.

Cal Water filed the application to move into Stage 2 with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on April 22 and held public meetings in early May to help educate residents and businesses about new irrigation restrictions, water waste penalties, and programs to help reduce water use. This move put Cal Water in line with Gov. Gavin Newsom's recent request for all water suppliers to move into Stage 2 of their drought plans.

Outdoor landscape irrigation is now limited to two days per week as follows, between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., unless local ordinances state otherwise:

• Addresses ending with an odd number: Tuesday and Saturday
• Addresses ending with an even number or with no street number: Wednesday and Sunday

Additionally, penalties for violating the prohibited uses of water have doubled. Some of the common restrictions include:

• All leaks, breaks, or other malfunctions in a customer's plumbing fixtures and/or irrigation system must be repaired within five business days of written notification by Cal Water.
• Vehicles may only be washed with a hose that has a shutoff nozzle or similar device.
• Water may not be used on driveways or sidewalks, unless for health and safety purposes.
• No watering of outdoor landscapes may occur during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.
• Restaurants may only serve water upon request, and hotels and motels must provide guests with the option of not having towels and linens laundered daily.

Cal Water has been preparing for these increasingly serious drought conditions, and Stage 2 of our Water Shortage Contingency Plan helps us conserve while continuing to support our customers and provide quality, service, and value to them. We offer our customers a variety of conservation programs and encourage them to take advantage of these resources to help save water every day.

Cal Water's industry-leading conservation programs include:

• Lawn-to-garden rebate of $3 per square foot of lawn removed and replaced with low-water-use landscaping
• Spray-to-drip rebate of $0.50 per square foot of landscaping converted from standard spray irrigation to a drip system

• Rebates on high-efficiency appliances and devices, with certain rebates now doubled
• A free smart landscape tune-up program that includes an irrigation system evaluation along with installation of efficient devices and repair of most irrigation leaks
• A free residential conservation kit that includes a garden hose nozzle with shutoff valve, high-efficiency showerheads, faucet aerators, and more for residential customers

More conservation programs, drought resources, and a full list of the prohibited uses of water can be found on calwater.com/drought.

Cal Water serves approximately 2 million people through 494,500service connections in California. Additional information may be obtained online at www.calwater.com.