Politics & Government

City Of Watsonville: A State And Local Call In Response To The California Drought

Governor Newsom has asked Californians to voluntarily reduce our water use due to the record-breaking temperatures and the ongoing droug ...

July 20, 2021

Governor Newsom has asked Californians to voluntarily reduce our water use due to the record-breaking temperatures and the ongoing drought across California driven by climate change

Find out what's happening in Watsonvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Due to the fact that our local groundwater wells can only be refilled by rainfall and that Watsonville depends on local groundwater wells for about 90% of our water, please follow the guidelines below to help us conserve this precious resource. 

Reducing your water use when watering our lawns and landscaping will make a big difference, since outdoor watering accounts for 50% of our daily water usage. 

Find out what's happening in Watsonvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  •  Limit landscape watering to 15 minutes twice a week before 9am and after 5pm. 

  • Repair broken irrigation systems.

  • Adjust sprinkler heads to prevent overspray and run-off onto sidewalk, parking lots, streets, and driveways.

  • Sweep sidewalks and driveways; it is prohibited to wash sidewalks and driveways with a hose.

  • Switch to drip irrigation that emits water directly to plant roots - or water by hand.

  • Mulch around the base of plants to prevent water runoff into the streets.

  • Always use a hose with a shut-off nozzle. Hoses without shut-off nozzles are prohibited.  

  • Remember that using water in a way that it runs off onto the street is considered water wastage and is prohibited. 

    Free landscape water consultations are available through the City to evaluate your business’ water usage. Commercial water customers can receive up to $2,000 to replace lawns with drought-tolerant plants, qualifying edible perennial plants, and more efficient irrigation systems. For more information or to schedule a site visit, go to cityofwatsonville.org/waterconservation or call Michael Johnson at (831) 325-3376.

    El gobernador Newsom ha pedido a los residentes de California que reduzcan su uso de agua voluntariamente debido a las altas temperaturas y la sequía causadas por el cambio climático. Debido a que nuestros pozos de agua solo se pueden rellenar con la lluvia y Watsonville depende de los pozos locales de agua subterráneos que abastecen el 90% de nuestra agua, le pedimos que siga las pautas descritas abajo para preservar este recurso esencial.

    Reducir el uso de agua al regar céspedes y jardines hará una gran diferencia, ya que el riego de estos es responsable del 50% del uso de agua.

    • Limite el riego de jardines a 15 minutos dos veces por semana antes de las 9am y después de las 5pm.

    • Repare sus sistemas de irrigación.

    • Ajuste sus aspersores para evitar el exceso de rociado y el escurrimiento en las banquetas, calles, y estacionamientos.

  • Cambie a un sistema de irrigación por goteo que emita agua directamente a las raíces de las plantas - o riegue a mano.

  • Barra las banquetas y cocheras; está prohibido lavarlas con mangueras.

  • Solo use mangueras con una boquilla automática de cierre. Se prohíbe el uso de mangueras sin una boquilla automática de cierre.


  • This press release was produced by the City of Watsonville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.