New water restrictions are coming to these SLO County cities. Here’s what it means to you
Some San Luis Obispo County cities must implement tighter water use restrictions after the California Water Quality Control Board voted Tuesday to adopt an emergency regulation in response to the ongoing drought.
The emergency regulation adopted by the state board also prohibits using drinkable water to irrigate “non-functional turf,” or decorative grass, at commercial, industrial and institutional properties.
By June 10, urban water suppliers must implement Level 2 of their water shortage contingency plans to achieve a 10% to 20% reduction in water consumption, the new regulation says. The regulation was adopted mostly in line with an executive order by Gov. Gavin Newsom on March 28.
In San Luis Obispo County, this mainly affects cities such as San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Atascadero and Templeton, which have not yet declared any water shortages during the current drought.
Other cities and communities in the county — including Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande, Morro Bay and Los Osos — have already declared Level 2 or higher water shortages, so their water restrictions do not need to change.
In order to be exempt from declaring a Level 2 water shortage under the state board’s emergency regulation, suppliers must have a reliable supply without receiving any Colorado River, State Water Project or Central Valley Project allocations. In addition, their residents must use fewer than 55 gallons per person per day on average.
Suppliers exempt from Level 2 water shortage status must instead follow different water conservation criteria laid out in the emergency regulation.
What does the water requirement mean for SLO County?
Residents in San Luis Obispo County not yet under any water shortage restrictions by their respective water suppliers will generally not see huge changes as a result of the Tuesday emergency regulation.
San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Templeton have similar Level 2 water shortage measures that mostly require greater public outreach to their citizens about the ongoing drought and water conservation tips. The biggest change will come in the form of more restrictive irrigation schedules for residents.
“We feel like water conservation is really important all the time, so we’ve already been doing a lot that’s required under our Stage 2 of our water shortage contingency plan,” said Nick Teague, San Luis Obispo’s water resources program manager. “It doesn’t change a whole lot for us.”
Starting on June 10, the city will limit irrigation on residential property to the hours of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and irrigation of non-functional turf will be banned on commercial, institutional or industrial properties, with some exemptions. That will come after the City Council passes a resolution authorizing the restrictions.
“The City of San Luis Obispo remains water-secure and resilient,” City Utilities Director Aaron Floyd said. “Generations of focus on water supply planning, investments in diverse local water sources, and a community that embraces water conservation have set our community apart. That said, city staff are working to ensure we remain compliant with these new statewide regulations.”
The city will continue emphasizing its existing water conservation efforts:
Water cannot be wasted due to substandard, leaky, or faulty water fixtures.
Water cannot flow off a property to constitute water waste runoff.
Restaurants must continue only serving water upon request.
Drinking water cannot be used to wash down sidewalks, driveways or parking areas except to alleviate immediate fire or sanitation hazards.
Drinking water cannot be used for major construction activities, such as grading and dust control.
In Paso Robles, residents will likely only be allowed to water three days a week before 9 a.m. and after 7 p.m., according to the city’s water resources manager, Kirk Gonzalez. This includes home lawns, golf courses, parks, school grounds and recreation fields, he said.
The City Council in Paso Robles also must give approval to enact Level 2 water shortage contingency plans.
In SLO, Teague said he’s still figuring out how to phrase the proposal to the San Luis Obispo City Council because although the emergency regulation essentially requires the city to declare a water shortage — it’s in no such state.
“It puts us in a tricky situation,” Gonzalez noted, because Paso Robles is also not seeing a shortage of water.
“We don’t intend to declare a water shortage emergency,” Gonzalez clarified. “We’re going to implement the Stage 2 water conservation measures without declaring the emergency, which seems like it’ll satisfy the state’s order.”
