Don’t let up on conservation efforts, warns water district official

The Carlsbad Municipal Water District is amending its Water Conservation Ordinance to allow the district to set outdoor watering schedules according to water conservation needs rather than prescribed days and times.  This move will provide greater flexibility in how to meet water conservation goals.

The existing ordinance, passed in December 2008, was based on the San Diego County Water Authority’s model ordinance and established what days outdoor watering could take place and how long each sprinkler station could run.  When a level two drought alert went into effect for the Carlsbad Municipal Water District July 1, new mandatory restrictions included limiting outdoor watering to no more than three days a week through October and one day a week starting Nov. 1.  In addition, the ordinance states that sprinklers may only run up to 10 minutes per station.

California has faced severe water shortages due to a prolonged drought and legal restrictions on water pumped from Northern California.  In April, the San Diego County Water Authority called for a mandatory 8 percent reduction in water use from its member agencies, including the Carlsbad Municipal Water District.  To date, the region has cut back by 14 percent, and Carlsbad Municipal Water District customers have cut back by 16 percent.  As a result many water agencies in the region are updating their drought ordinances to allow more flexibility in determining water use restrictions.

“People are doing the right thing when it comes to saving water, and we want to recognize that,” said Mark Stone, Carlsbad Municipal Water District general manager.  “We don’t want to ask people to reduce outdoor watering even more if we are already meeting our targets for conservation.”

The changes to the ordinance allow the water district general manager to determine, under a level two and level three drought condition, how many days a week customers may water and for how long per sprinkler station.  These rules will be published through newspaper advertisements and on the city website.  The original ordinance called for a three-day-a-week watering schedule during warmer months, a one-day-a-week schedule during cooler months and a 10-minute per sprinkler station maximum.  Once the proposed ordinance changes take effect, water district officials will likely call for a three-day-a-week watering schedule instead of the current one-day-a-week rule.

The ordinance changes were introduced at the Nov. 10 meeting of the Carlsbad Municipal Water District board of directors and adopted Dec. 1.  The changes will take effect 30 days later.

About 85 percent of the City of Carlsbad gets water service from the Carlsbad Municipal Water District, a subsidiary district of the City of Carlsbad.  The southeastern part of the city is served by the Olivenhain Municipal Water District and the Vallecitos Water District.  For information about their water use rules, please visit their websites.

In addition to limiting outdoor watering, the Carlsbad Municipal Water District ordinance includes the following rules under the level two drought alert condition:

Irrigation

• Stop water waste from inefficient landscape irrigation, such as runoff, overspray and misdirected sprinklers.
• Use a bucket or a hose with a shutoff nozzle when watering landscaped areas with no irrigation system.

Washing

• No washing down of hard surfaces, such as driveways, patios, sidewalks and parking lots with a hose, unless necessary to remove safety or sanitation hazards.
• Wash vehicles with a bucket and hose equipped with a shutoff nozzle.

Fountains

• Stop operating decorative fountains unless they use reclaimed water.

Leaks

• Repair all water leaks within 72 hours of notification by the water district.

Restaurants and hotels

• Serve water in restaurants only on request.
• Offer hotel guests the option of not laundering towels and linens daily.

Along with putting mandatory conservation measures into effect, the Carlsbad Municipal Water District enacted a tiered rate structure, which went into effect August 1, to encourage greater water savings.  Under the tiered rate system, customers pay one rate for up to 12 units, or 748 gallons, of water.  Water used above that amount is billed at a higher rate, similar to how electricity rates are structured. 

“The changes to our watering rules don’t mean the public can let up on water conservation efforts,” said Stone.  “We still need everyone’s cooperation to manage through this water crisis.  The good news is, the community is responding, and we want to say, ‘great job, Carlsbad’.”

For more information visit the Carlsbad Municipal Water District’s Web page at www.carlsbadca.gov/water or call 760-438-2722.