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San Diego County Water Authority

Water Shortage and Drought Response

San Diego County Drought Response Level
Drought Watch - 10% Voluntary Drought Emergency - More than 40% Mandatory Drought Watch - 10% Voluntary Drought Critical - Up to 40% Mandatory Drought Alert - Up to 20% Mandatory
Click on each box above to see restrictions or actions for each drought response level.


Mandatory Water Conservation Measures in Your Area


What is our current water situation?

The San Diego County Water Authority, in response to ongoing water supply challenges, is continuing current limits on reduced water deliveries to local water agencies for a second straight year through June 30, 2011.

The decision means the region will need to continue to keep urban water use at least 8 percent below pre-cutback levels. Although snowfall in the Sierra Nevada in Northern California was well above average this winter, regulatory restrictions on pumping in the Bay-Delta significantly reduced any water supply benefits from it. The reduced pumping capacity means larger volumes of water are lost during wet years, greatly limiting the ability to refill reservoirs to help cope with future dry years.

The region remains in a Level 2 “Drought Alert” condition. This enables the Water Authority’s 24 member retail agencies to use mandatory water use restrictions or other measures to curb demand. Water use restrictions may vary by retail agency. Residents and businesses should check with their local water provider to make sure they understand rates, restrictions and other conditions in their community. Thanks to conservation efforts by residents and businesses, regionwide water use is on pace to meet or exceed the 8 percent savings goal.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Water Authority’s main supplier, is also continuing its allocations of water deliveries through June 30, 2011. In 2009 MWD reduced water deliveries to the San Diego region by 13 percent. Additional water supplies secured as part of the Water Authority’s supply diversification strategy enabled the San Diego region’s shortage to be reduced to 8 percent.

Many water agencies around the state are grappling with supply shortages. Drought conditions, diminished water storage levels, and regulatory restrictions on water deliveries from Northern California have combined to severely limit water supplies around much of California. The regulatory restrictions are expected to affect water supply reliability in the years ahead.

To prepare the San Diego region for potential water shortages, in March 2008 the San Diego County Water Authority released a Model Drought Response Ordinance to its member retail agencies. The Model Drought Response Ordinance identifies four drought response levels that contain water-use restrictions that will help achieve demand reduction during water shortages. Member agencies are using the Water Authority's model to update their own ordinances to help provide consistency throughout the region on response levels and water use restrictions that may be taken to reduce water demand.

Member agency drought ordinances may vary. To find out which ordinance is applicable in your area, locate your member agency here. Links to member agency drought ordinances can be found here.

Model Drought Response Ordinance & Proposed Restrictions
Drought Management Plan
Reservoir Levels
Board Memos
Enhancing Supply Reliability

Member Agencies' Drought Ordinances
Helpful Links


Reservoir Levels

Local Conditions

State Conditions

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Board Memos

Notification to the San Diego County Water Authority Member Agencies of a Regional Drought Response Level 1, Drought Watch Condition - April 16, 2008

Draft Model Drought Response Conservation Program Ordinance for Use by the San Diego County Water Authority Member Agencies - March 19, 2008

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Helpful Links

20-Gallon Challenge

Association of California Water Agencies

Department of Water Resources Drought Page

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Snowpack Report (Department of Water Resources)

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Lower Colorado River Region

U.S. Drought Monitor

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