Desert Water Agency Announces Restrictions

The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) today adopted new emergency regulations to comply with Governor Brown’s April 1 Executive Order to reduce statewide water use by 25 percent.

To achieve this, the State Water Board has imposed mandatory restrictions along with assigning different mandatory conservation goals to each urban area based on per capita water use.

Using a sliding scale for implementation, the assigned conservation goals range from 4 to 36 percent. Additionally, acknowledging that seasonal residents and high tourism rates should be considered when calculating per capita water use, the State Water Board will be allowing water agencies with high tourism rates in their service area to resubmit per capita water use data.

DWA will use local data to recalculate per capita water use and resubmit that data to the state. The adopted regulations force urban areas with the highest per capita water use to achieve a mandatory 36 percent reduction in water use, which currently includes the Coachella Valley with the previously submitted data.

DWA customers achieved a 7 percent reduction in water use in March of this year. While the Agency appreciates customers’ conservation efforts, there is an immediate need to do more.

The following is a statement from Jim Cioffi, vice president of the Desert Water Agency’s Board of Directors:

“By now, the message should resonate loud and clear with all Californians – we are in the most serious drought of our time, and it is not going to end anytime soon. To do our part and achieve the reduction that the state is requiring of us, we need all Desert Water Agency customers to step up and follow the mandatory restrictions we have adopted.”

DWA will carefully review the additional emergency regulations adopted today, and the Agency may have to take further actions to comply. DWA adopted new mandatory water use restrictions to comply with the State Water Board’s and Governor Brown’s conservation mandates following a public hearing on April 21.

The DWA Board of Directors amended the Agency’s drought contingency plan through Resolution 1108, and the following mandatory water use restrictions are now in effect in DWA’s service area:

– Washing of hardscapes is prohibited.

-Running water to wash vehicles is prohibited (buckets and stop nozzles on hoses are permitted).

-The use of fountains or other decorative water features shall be prohibited unless necessary as habitat for aquatic pets, in which case recirculating water shall be permitted.

– Using potable water outside of newly constructed homes and buildings that is not delivered by drip or micro-spray systems is prohibited.

-Outdoor residential irrigation shall be restricted to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, after 7:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m.

-Outdoor irrigation of commercial, industrial and institutional facilities shall be restricted to alternate days before 7:00 a.m. and after 7:00 p.m., according to a schedule determined by Agency staff following consultation with the affected customer. Commercial customers may implement an alternative plan if approved in advance by DWA’s General Manager.

– Runoff such that water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, parking lots, or structures is prohibited.

– Irrigating up to 48 hours after measurable rainfall is prohibited.

-The use of potable water to irrigate turf within street medians, and turf within the dedicated right of way on either side of a public street, is prohibited.

– Restaurants may provide water to customers only upon request.

– Operators of hotels and motels shall provide guests with the option of choosing not to have towels and linens laundered daily.

– Agency customers are encouraged not to empty and refill swimming pools from June 1 through October 31 unless necessary to address a health or safety emergency.

About DWA Desert Water Agency is a public, non-profit agency and a State Water Contractor, serving a 325- square-mile area, including parts of Cathedral City, outlying county areas, Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs. An elected five-member board sets policy and represents the ratepayers.

For more information, please visit www.dwa.org