Lingering drought leads to stricter water restrictions

California’s lingering drought led to stricter water restrictions in Poway, Rancho Bernardo and 4S Ranch this year.

Beginning as voluntary restrictions, the water belt tightening went mandatory on Aug. 1 for Poway and 4S Ranch, with the City of San Diego adopting mandatory water restrictions on Nov. 1.

The City of San Diego put voluntary water restrictions in effect in July.

“We’re facing a water supply shortage and a long fire season ahead, so it’s prudent that all San Diegans do what they can to conserve water,” said Mayor Kevin Faulconer. “San Diegans have been cognizant of the importance of water conservation for years and this declaration is simply a reminder to remain vigilant going forward.”

Olivenhain Municipal Water District, which covers 4S Ranch, declared a Level 2 Water Supply Shortage on July 23. The move was in response to emergency regulations approved a week earlier by California’s State Water Resources Control Board, which required water suppliers statewide to implement water shortage contingency plans that impose mandatory restrictions on outdoor irrigation.

The Poway City Council approved mandatory water conservation measures for homes and businesses on Aug. 5, retroactive to Aug. 1.

The mandatory restrictions for Poway residents include outdoor watering restriction for homes (odd-numbered addresses on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; even-numbered homes Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays; apartments, condos and businesses Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays), with the city asking that watering be limited to 10 minutes per station and it be done in mornings and evenings.

Residents have also been asked to not hose down paved surfaces; to only use a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle or a bucket to water landscaped areas that are not irrigated by a system; are encouraged to use pool and spa covers and to make sure that water from sprinkler systems does not run off into non-irrigated areas.

Restaurants have also been asked to serve drinking water only upon request, and hotels and motels have been asked to offer guests the option of not having towels and sheets washed daily.

The city and the Poway Unified School District are both exempt from the restrictions, as are golf courses, commercial nurseries and well water and ground water supplies.

The 4S Ranch restrictions include no washing down surfaces, unless to alleviate a health or safety hazard; no water waste from inefficient irrigation; no irrigating between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.; use of a hand-held hose only when equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle or bucket; no irrigation of nursery and commercial grower’s products between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and all leaks must be repaired within 72 hours.

4S Ranch residents and businesses are also following similar watering restrictions as Poway.

“We are in the midst of a historic drought, and the regulations recently imposed by the State Board remind us of the critical importance of doing all we can to conserve water,” said Larry Watt, OMWD board president. “The move to a Level 2 Water Supply Shortage is an important step to ensure that there is enough water in reserves to meet demands into 2015. OMWD has been consistently proactive in managing our water supply, and this decision is consistent with that philosophy.”

The water restrictions for Rancho Bernardo also limit residents and businesses to watering only three days a week, as well as ordering the stoppage of ornamental fountains except as needed for maintenance; no irrigation during rain; restrictions on when vehicles can be washed and more.

Despite water restrictions, the hot weather drove up countywide water usage six percent in October 2014, as opposed to the same time last year. The year-over-year increase follows water use decreases in August and September compared to the same months a year ago.

“The high temperatures in October really pushed up water use,” said Ken Weinberg, director of water resources for the water authority. “While the stark contrast in temperatures year-over-year made water conservation more difficult, the October figures offer a warning. As a region, we must return to the kind of water savings we saw in August and September – and even improve on those numbers. If high temperatures persist, we will have to let our yards show some water stress to actually save water. They might not look great in the short term, but a little sacrifice now will go a long way toward stretching our supplies for 2015.”