Summer watering restrictions
in effect
Your landscape may not need daily watering even with hotter temperatures. While daily sprinkler watering is permitted May 1 through Aug. 31, landscapes can stay healthy and look great with less.
Monitor your landscape closely during the hot summer days and adjust watering times or add watering days only as needed.
Time of day watering restrictions
Mandatory watering restrictions prohibit landscape irrigation from
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from May 1 through Sept. 30.
During the hottest hours of the day, water is often
lost to evaporation from the heat and high winds. Watering during restricted hours is considered water waste and may result in a water
waste fee on your bill.
Hand watering and supervised testing of irrigation systems are allowed at any time on any day.
Increased watering means a higher water
bill
As you increase your landscape watering, expect to see a
higher water bill. The Water District's rates are based on a
tiered system so that the more water you use, the more you pay.
In the summer, you could be using 70 to 90 percent of your drinking
water to keep your grass green.
Cycle and soak
Run sprinklers in three short, 4-minute cycles, about an hour apart.
This allows soil to absorb water slowly and reduces the risk of
runoff, which is water waste.
Run drip irrigation in one long cycle. Drip watering
time depends upon your emitter type, ranging in length from 12 minutes
to two hours. See our drip watering
tips for details.
Schedule all cycles in early morning, so watering is complete by sunrise during the summer months. This avoids water lost to daytime evaporation and late-day winds.
Turf Restrictions
Drought ordinances also prohibit turf in the front
yards of homes where building permits were issued Jan. 1, 2004,
or later. See the turf
limits information on the SNWA
Web site for more information.
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