Model Drought Response Ordinance
Click on each box above to see restrictions or actions for each drought response level.
Level 2 "Drought Alert" Mandatory Water-Use Restrictions
(Based on the Water Authority's Drought Model Ordinance)
Mandatory Water Conservation Measures in Your Area
Model Drought Response Ordinance Language - March 27, 2008
Model Drought Response Ordinance Summary
- March 27, 2008
Click on the links below to learn what the water-use restrictions are at each level based on the Model Drought Response Ordinance.
Level 1 Restrictions - Drought Watch (10% voluntary conservation)
Level 2 Restrictions - Drought Alert (Up to 20% mandatory conservation)
Level 3 Restrictions - Drought Critical (Up to 40% mandatory conservation)
Level 4 Restrictions - Drought Emergency (More than 40% mandatory conservation)
Back to drought management page
The following tables
provide a summary of the Water Authority's Model Drought Ordinance. This is only a model and the actual restrictions in a customer's home/business depend on the member agency that serves that service area.
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.
Level
1
Drought Watch |
|
Trigger |
Voluntary or Mandatory
Restrictions |
Customer Conservation Targets
|
- Level 1 applies when the Water Authority notifies its member agencies
that due to drought or other supply reductions, there is a reasonable
probability of supply shortages and that a consumer demand reduction
of up to 10% is required to ensure that sufficient supplies will
be available to meet anticipated demands.
- The member agency General Manager shall declare the existence of Level
1 and take action to implement the Level 1 conservation practices identified
in this ordinance.
|
Voluntary |
Up
to 10% |
What are the restrictions at level 1?
| 1. |
Washing down paved surfaces is prohibited including but not limited to sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or patios, except when it is necessary to alleviate safety or sanitation hazards. |
| 2. |
Water waste resulting from inefficient landscape irrigation, such as runoff, low head drainage, or overspray, etc. is prohibited. Similarly, stop water flows onto non-targeted areas, such as adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, hardscapes, roadways, or structures. |
| 3. |
Irrigate residential and commercial landscape before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. only. |
| 4. |
Use a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle or bucket to water landscaped areas, including trees and shrubs located on residential and commercial properties that are not irrigated by a landscape irrigation system. |
| 5. |
Irrigate nursery and commercial grower’s products before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. only. Watering is permitted at any time with a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle, a bucket, or when a drip/micro-irrigation system/equipment is used. Irrigation of nursery propagation beds is permitted at any time. Watering of livestock is permitted at any time. |
| 6. |
Use recirculated water to operate ornamental fountains.
|
| 7. |
Wash vehicles using a bucket and a hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle, mobile high pressure/low volume wash system, or at a commercial site that recirculates (reuses) water onsite. Avoid washing during hot conditions when additional water is required due to evaporation. |
| 8. |
Serve and refill water in restaurants and other food service establishments only upon request. |
| 9. |
Offer guests in hotels, motels, and other commercial lodging establishments the option of not laundering towels and linens daily. |
| 10. |
Repair all water leaks within five days of notification by the member agency unless other arrangements are made with the General Manager. |
| 11. |
Use recycled or nonpotable water for construction purposes when available. |
Restrictions shall not apply to water use from private wells or to the use of recycled water.
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Level
2
Drought Alert |
|
Trigger |
Voluntary or Mandatory
Restrictions |
Customer Conservation Targets
|
- Level 2 applies when the Water Authority notifies its member agencies
that due to cutbacks caused by drought or other reduction in supplies,
a consumer demand reduction of up to 20% is required to have sufficient supplies available to meet anticipated demands.
- The member agency Board of Directors shall declare the existence of a Level
2 condition and implement the mandatory Level 2 conservation measures
identified in this ordinance.
|
Mandatory |
Up
to 20% |
What are the restrictions at level 2?
Level 2 "Drought Alert" Mandatory Water-Use Restrictions
(Based on the Water Authority's Drought Model Ordinance)
| All Level 1 water-use restrictions, plus: |
| 1. |
Limit residential and commercial landscape irrigation to no more than three assigned days per week on a schedule established by the General Manager and posted by the member agency. During the months of November through May, landscape irrigation is limited to no more than once per week on a schedule established by the General Manager and posted by the member agency. This section shall not apply to commercial growers or nurseries. |
| 2. |
Limit lawn watering and landscape irrigation using sprinklers to no more than ten minutes per watering station per day. This provision does not apply to landscape irrigation systems using water efficient devices, including but not limited to: weather-based controllers, drip/micro-irrigation systems and stream rotor sprinklers. |
| 3. |
Water landscaped areas, including trees and shrubs located on residential and commercial properties, and not irrigated by a landscape irrigation system governed by section 5 (b) (1)*, on the same schedule set forth in section 5 (b) (1)* by using a bucket, hand-held hose with positive shut-off nozzle, or low-volume non-spray irrigation.
* Limit residential and commercial landscape irrigation to no more than three assigned days per week on a schedule established by the General Manager and posted by the member agency. During the months of November through May, landscape irrigation is limited to no more than once per week on a schedule established by the General Manager and posted by the member agency. This section shall not apply to commercial growers or nurseries. |
| 4. |
Repair all leaks within 72 hours of notification by the member agency unless other arrangements are made with the General Manager. |
| 5. |
Stop operating ornamental fountains or similar decorative water features unless recycled water is used. |
Restrictions shall not apply to water use from private wells or to the use of recycled water.
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|
|
Trigger |
Voluntary or Mandatory
Restrictions |
Customer Conservation Targets
|
- Level 3 applies when the Water Authority notifies its
member agencies that due to increasing cutbacks caused by drought or
other reduction of supplies, a consumer demand reduction of up to 40%
is required to have sufficient supplies available to meet anticipated
demands.
- The member agency Board of Directors shall declare the existence
of a Level 3 condition and implement the Level 3 conservation measures
identified in this ordinance.
|
Mandatory
|
Up
to 40% |
What are the restrictions at level 3?
| All Level 1 and 2 water-use restrictions, plus: |
| 1. |
Limit residential and commercial landscape irrigation to no more than two assigned days per week on a schedule established by the General Manager and posted by the member agency. During the months of November through May, landscape irrigation is limited to no more than once per week on a schedule established by the General Manager and posted by the member agency. This section shall not apply to commercial growers or nurseries. |
| 2. |
Water landscaped areas, including trees and shrubs located on residential and commercial properties, and not irrigated by a landscape irrigation system governed by section 6 (b) (1)**, on the same schedule set forth in section 6 (b) (1)** by using a bucket, hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle, or low-volume nonspray irrigation.
** Limit residential and commercial landscape irrigation to no more than two assigned days per week on a schedule established by the General Manager and posted by the member agency. During the months of November through May, landscape irrigation is limited to no more than once per week on a schedule established by the General Manager and posted by the member agency. This section shall not apply to commercial growers or nurseries. |
| 3. |
Filling or refilling ornamental lakes or ponds is prohibited, except to the extent needed to sustain aquatic life, provided that such animals are of significant value and have been actively managed within the water feature prior to declaration of a drought response level under this ordinance. |
| 4. |
Washing vehicles is prohibited, except at commercial carwashes that recirculate (reuse) water, or by high pressure/low volume wash systems. |
| 5. |
Repair all leaks within 48 hours of notification by the member agency unless other arrangements are made with the General Manager. |
| 6. |
No new potable water service shall be provided, no new temporary
meters or permanent meters shall be provided, and no statements of immediate
ability to serve or provide potable water service (such as, will-serve
letters, certificates or letters of availability) shall be issued, except
under the following circumstances:
| |
A. |
A valid, unexpired building permit has been issued for the project; or |
| |
B. |
The project is necessary to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare; or |
| |
C. |
The applicant provides substantial evidence of an enforceable commitment that water demands for the project will be offset prior to the provision of a new water meter(s) to the satisfaction of the member agency. |
This provision shall not be construed to prohibit the resetting or turn-on of meters to provide continuation of water service or to restore service that has been interrupted for a period of one year or less.
|
| 7. |
Upon declaration of a drought response Level 3 condition, the member agency will
suspend consideration of annexations to its service area. |
| 8. |
The member agency may establish a water allocation for property served by
the member agency using a method that does not penalize persons for the implementation
of conservation methods or the installation of water saving devices. |
Restrictions shall not apply to water use from private wells or to the use of recycled water.
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Level
4
Drought Emergency |
|
Trigger |
Voluntary or Mandatory
Restrictions |
Customer Conservation Targets
|
- A Level 4 condition applies when the Water Authority Board declares
a water shortage emergency pursuant to Water Code Section 350 and notifies
its member agencies that Level 4 requires a demand reduction of more
than 40% for the member agency to have maximum supplies available
to meet anticipated demands.
- The member agency shall declare a Drought Emergency in the manner provided
in Water Code Section 350.
|
Mandatory
|
Above
40% |
What are the restrictions at level 4?
| |
All Level 1, 2, and 3 water-use restrictions, plus: |
| 1. |
All landscape irrigation is prohibited, except crops and landscape products of commercial growers and nurseries. This restriction shall not apply to the following categories of use unless the member agency has determined that recycled water is available and may be lawfully applied to the use. |
| |
| A. |
Maintenance of trees and shrubs that are watered on the same schedule set forth in section 6 (b) (1)** by using a bucket, hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle, or low-volume nonspray irrigation; |
| B. |
Maintenance of existing landscaping necessary for fire protection as specified by the Fire Marshal of the local fire protection agency having jurisdiction over the property to be irrigated; |
| C. |
Maintenance of existing landscaping for erosion control; |
| D. |
Maintenance of plant materials identified to be rare or essential to the well being of rare animals; |
| E. |
Maintenance of landscaping within active public parks and playing fields, day-care centers, school grounds, cemeteries, and golf course greens, provided that such irrigation does not exceed two days per week according to the schedule established under section 6 (b) (1)**;
** Limit residential and commercial landscape irrigation to no more than two assigned days per week on a schedule established by the General Manager and posted by the member agency. During the months of November through May, landscape irrigation is limited to no more than once per week on a schedule established by the General Manager and posted by the member agency. This section shall not apply to commercial growers or nurseries. |
| F. |
Watering of livestock; and |
| G. |
Public works projects and actively irrigated environmental mitigation projects. |
|
| 2. |
Repair all water leaks within 24 hours of notification by the member agency unless other arrangements are made with the General Manager. |
| 3. |
The member agency may establish a water allocation for property served by the member agency. |
Restrictions shall not apply to water use from private wells or to the use of recycled water.
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