Statewide Water Conservation Rules Coming Soon to City of SLO

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.

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.