Desert Water Agency Approves Tighter Mandatory Water Restrictions

The Desert Water Agency (DWA) adopted new mandatory water use restrictions Tuesday to comply with the State Water Resources Control Board’s and Governor Jerry Brown’s conservation mandates.

To achieve the Governor’s mandatory statewide 25 percent reduction, the State Water Board’s proposed regulations assign different 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. If adopted, the proposed regulations would force urban areas with the highest per capita water use to achieve a mandatory 36 percent reduction in water use, which includes the Coachella Valley.

“To achieve a mandatory 36 percent reduction in water use, on top of the 20 percent we’ve already achieved, Desert Water Agency may have to consider adopting additional mandatory conservation measures, compelling desert residents to rethink their water use,” said Jim Cioffi, vice president of DWA’s Board of Directors.

Here is a complete list of existing and newly adopted water restrictions.

Prohibited:

• Washing of hardscapes
• Running water to wash vehicles (buckets and stop nozzles on hoses are permitted)
• Filling fountains or other decorative water features (unless necessary for aquatic pets)
• Using potable water outside of newly constructed homes and buildings that is not delivered by drip or micro-spray systems

Irrigation restrictions:

• Outdoor residential irrigation is restricted to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, after 7:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m.
• A commercial, industrial or institutional customer may implement an alternative water use reduction plan that achieves reductions in water use equivalent to those expected from the restrictions prescribed herein, if approved in advance by the 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.

Hotels and restaurants:

• 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.

DWA also offers a variety of voluntary water-saving programs and rebates, such as free Smart Irrigation Controllers. The Agency invested $1 million into the agency’s popular turf buy back program and launched a proactive public education campaign to increase customer awareness and drive actions in 2014. To learn more about the Agency’s conservation programs, visit http://www.dwa.org/conservation.

--Image via Shutterstock

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