City of San Luis Obispo, CA

05/27/2022 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/27/2022 11:57

Statewide Water Conservation Rules Coming Soon to City of SLO

As soon as June 10, 2022 in the City of San Luis Obispo, irrigation on residential property will be limited to between the hours of 7:00 PM and 7:00 AM and irrigation of non-functional turf will be prohibited on commercial, institutional, or industrial properties. Certain exemptions apply. The City Utilities Department will focus on promoting water conservation through education and outreach to help community members comply.

"The City of San Luis Obispo remains water-secure and resilient," said City Utilities Director Aaron Floyd. "Generations of focus on water supply planning, investments in diverse local water sources, and a community that embraces water conservation have set our community apart. That said, City staff are working to ensure we remain compliant with these new statewide regulations."

These regulations will go into effect in San Luis Obispo on June 10, 2022 after City Council passes a resolution authorizing the restrictions. On May 25, 2022, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted the emergency conservation regulations prohibiting commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) sites from irrigating "non-functional turf" and requiring all water suppliers to implement water conservation actions. On March 28, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom released Executive Order N-7-22 outlining emergency conservation regulations affecting public water systems statewide and instructing State Water Agencies to consider adopting additional measures.

This statewide change requires the City of San Luis Obispo to implement the actions included in Stage 2 of our Water Shortage Contingency Plan, which means the City will increase programs that encourage voluntary water conservation, examine available alternative water sources, modify internal operations to focus on decreasing water loss, cease any short-term outside-City water sales/leases, and implement time-of-use irrigation restrictions (only allowed 7:00 PM - 7:00 AM). Except for the limitations on irrigation times, most of these are activities are already underway.

  • Water cannot be wasted due to substandard, leaky, or faulty water fixtures.

  • Water cannot flow off a property to constitute water waste runoff.

  • Restaurants must continue only serving water upon request.

  • Drinking water cannot be used to wash down sidewalks, driveways, or parking areas except to alleviate immediate fire or sanitation hazards.

  • Drinking water cannot be used for major construction activities, such as grading and dust control.

Despite these statewide water conservation rules, the City of San Luis Obispo remains water-secure and resilient thanks to the community's long history of water-supply investments and water conservation. The City's Water Shortage Contingency Plan is designed to ensure the City can endure multiple years of drought. As more state drought rules go into effect, the City of San Luis Obispo will use our drought plan to guide water conservation efforts locally.

Following the enactment of the statewide emergency water conservation regulations, the Utilities Department will go before City Council to request a resolution to enact local water conservation actions.

Learn more about what the community and City have already done to prepare for drought and subscribe to receive water news via email at slocity.org/drought.

Media contact: Nick Teague, Water Resources Program Manager, [email protected], 805.781.7217