Current Water Conservation (Use) Restrictions

Stage 1: Water Conservation – Non Essential or Unauthorized Water Use

Non-essential and prohibited use restrictions are in effect at all times until the CPUC authorizes deactivation.

Outdoor Irrigating 

• Irrigating ornamental landscapes with potable water is limited to no more than three (3) days per week, on a schedule established and posted by Suburban on its website or otherwise provided to customers by bill message, bill insert, direct mail, or email, or as follows:

1. Customer with even-numbered addresses may irrigate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
2. Customers with odd-numbered addresses may irrigate on Tuesdays, Thursday, and Sundays.
3. Customers without a street address may irrigate on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

4. For governmental entities irrigating parks, any given station may be watered only three (3) times per week.
5. Notwithstanding the foregoing restrictions, irrigation of special landscape areas or commercial nurseries may occur as needed, provided that the customer who wishes to irrigate a special landscape area or commercial nursery presents Suburban with a plan to achieve water use reductions commensurate with those that would be achieved by complying with foregoing restrictions.
6. Notwithstanding the foregoing restrictions, when a city, a county, or other local public agency in one of Suburban’s service areas duly adopts restrictions on the number of days or hours of the day that customers may irrigate which are different than those adopted by Suburban, Suburban may enforce the city, county, or other local public agency’s restrictions.

• Irrigating ornamental landscape with potable water is prohibited during the hours between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

• Watering or irrigating of any lawn, landscape, or other vegetated area with potable water during and for 48 hours following measurable rainfall is prohibited.

• The foregoing restrictions do not apply to:

1. Landscape irrigation zones that exclusively use drip irrigation systems and/or micro spray irrigation system;
2. Irrigating ornamental landscapes with the use of a hand-held bucket or similar container, with a continuously monitored hose which is fitted with an automatic shut-off nozzle or device attached to it that causes it to cease dispensing water immediately when not in use or monitored, or for the express purpose of adjusting or repairing an irrigation system. Landscape that is irrigated with recycled water.

• Excessive water flow or run-off: Watering or irrigating of any lawn, landscape or other vegetated area in a manner that causes or allows excessive water flow or runoff such that water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, parking lots, or structures is prohibited.

• Washing vehicles: The use of a hose that dispenses potable water to wash a motor vehicle, except where the hose is fitted with a shut-off nozzle or device attached to it is prohibited. Use of water for washing commercial aircraft, cars, buses, boats, trailers or other commercial vehicles at any time is prohibited, except at commercial or fleet vehicle or boat washing facilities operated at a fixed location where equipment using water is properly maintained to avoid wasteful use.

• Washing down hard or paved surfaces: Use of potable water for washing buildings, structures, driveways, patios, parking lots, tennis courts, or other hard surfaced areas is prohibited, except in cases where health and safety are at risk.

• Re-circulating water required for water fountains and decorative features: Operating a water fountain or other decorative feature that does not use re-circulated water is prohibited.

• Commercial businesses, including restaurants and other food service providers can only serve drinking water to customers on request. Commercial businesses, including restaurants and other food service providers can only serve drinking water to customers on request.

• Hotel/motel operators must provide guests with the option of choosing not to have towels and linens laundered daily. Information about this option must be prominently displayed.

• Unmetered water from fire hydrants cannot be used for any reason other than fire suppression or Suburban’s system maintenance purposes.

• Waste caused by correctable leaks, breaks or malfunctions. This loss of potable water may be cited for water waste after a five-day period has passed in which the leak or malfunction could have been corrected.

• There cannot be unreasonable or excessive use of potable water for dust control or earth compaction.

• Operation of commercial car washes that do not recycle the potable water used as required by the California Water Code Sections 10950-10953 is prohibited.

• Other wasteful practices may be identified from time to time by the Commission, Suburban, or governmental agency.