What are Sacramento County’s current water restrictions? What to know as drought drags on
California is no stranger to water restrictions in attempt to fix its statewide drought.
According to the California Department of Water Resources, drought is dangerous and its list of affects are extensive: wildfires, drinking water shortage, cost to homeowners, loss of landscaping, tree mortality and more.
In response to the state’s worsening drought, on Tuesday the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California slashed water use. Now outdoor watering is limited to twice a week for roughly six million Southern California residents.
What are Sacramento County’s water rules?
Sacramento County isn’t quite there yet.
As part of Sacramento County’s emergency conservation regulations, all county residents, businesses and statewide water supplies must follow these rules, according to Sacramento County’s water resources page:
- Don’t use safe drinking water to wash sidewalks and driveways.
- Avoid irrigation runoff when using safe drinking water.
- Don’t use hoses with no shutoff nozzles to wash cars.
- Don’t use safe drinking water in decorative water features that do not recirculate the water.
- Avoid outdoor irrigation during and 48 hours following measurable rainfall.
WHAT ABOUT BUSINESSES?
Businesses are required to do the following, according to Sacramento County’s website:
- Food service establishments must serve water to customers on request
For rules on hotels and motels, visit Sacramento County’s water resources page.
WHAT ABOUT WATER SUPPLIERS?
Water suppliers must do the following, according to Sacramento County’s website:
- Impose restrictions on outdoor irrigation
- Notify customers about leaks that are within the customer’s control
- Report on water use monthly
- Report on compliance and enforcement
ADDITIONAL WATER RULES
All Sacramento County residents and businesses are strongly recommended to comply with any additional water rules set by their local water supplier.
According to the Regional Water Authority’s watering guidelines map, Sacramento County Water Agency, which serves nearly 200,000 customers and is one of 27 water companies in the county, is at a 15% voluntary reduction. Here’s what that means, according to its website:
- Landscape watering is limited to three days a week.
- Watering days for an odd numbered home address is Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. An even numbered home address is Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
- Irrigation times are before 6 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
Recycled water users are exempt from Sacramento County Water Agency’s watering schedule.
To find your area’s water provider and learn about restrictions, use this map.
Is anything different in the city of Sacramento?
The city of Sacramento’s water restrictions are similar to the county’s, except for a few. According to the City of Sacramento’s drought conditions page, a “water alert” is currently in effect, the second of six stages in the city’s plan to reduce overall water usage during a water shortage.
Residents and businesses are asked to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15%. Here’s what the water restrictions look like for both city residents and businesses, according to the city’s drought conditions page:
- People are only allowed to wash their cars with a shutoff nozzle and on watering days.
- People with even-numbered addresses can water on Wednesdays and Sundays and people with odd-numbered addresses can water on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Fines for wasting water in the City of Sacramento range from $50 to $1,000.
How can I save water?
Here are a couple of tips to save water during the drought, according to Regional Water Authority’s Be Water Smart website.
- Check the soil before watering
- Use mulch on soil surface
- Fix household leaks
- Repair damaged sprinklers and drip emitters
- Adjust sprinkler to water plants and not the driveway
For tips on what tools to install to save water including high efficiency sprinklers and a “smart” controller, visit Regional Water Authority’s Be Water Smart website.
This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 5:00 AM.