DWA eases water restrictions after state drought emergency lifted

The Desert Water Agency is easing water restrictions after Governor Jerry Brown lifted the state’s drought emergency earlier in April. The agency’s Board of Director’s voted unanimously Tuesday to ease the restrictions.

Ashley Metzger, conservation and outreach manager for DWA, said the rule takes effect immediately. DWA will move from conservation stage four to conservation stage one which has less restrictions.

Customers will now be able to water their plants any day of the week without any time restrictions. Previously, they could only water on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m.

“Maybe it’s appropriate to water your lawn a little bit more or water your desert plants a little bit more,” Metzger said. “We still have conservation programs in place. We’re still working with our customers to give them incentives to save.”

Metzger said some restrictions will remain in place such as no watering within 48 hours of rainfall and vehicle washed with a hose need a shutoff nozzle. DWA is still asking customers to save 10 to 13 percent of their water usage in order to promote long-term sustainability.

Further details can be found here on the DWA’s agenda on pages 56 to 59.