The same day Gov. Jerry Brown issued the first-ever statewide mandatory water reductions, the Morgan Hill City Council approved new local restrictions in response to the historic ongoing drought.
The council declared a “level 2” water shortage at the April 1 meeting. Along with this declaration comes new watering restrictions including a prohibition on filling and refilling swimming pools and washing vehicles with potable water.
The entire state of California is in the fourth year of an “unprecedented drought,” resulting in steadily increasing restrictions in communities throughout the state since early 2014, according to a city staff report.
In April 2014, the council declared a “level 1” water shortage, which limits outdoor landscape watering to three days per week (or one day in the winter); requires property owners to repair leaks and water system malfunctions within 72 hours; and prohibits watering pavement or hard surfaces in most cases.
These are in addition to permanent city watering restrictions, including limits on watering durations, no excessive water flow or runoff and limits on washing vehicles.
The level 2 restrictions include these permanent rules and the level 1 limits, plus the following:
—Watering of lawns, landscaping or other vegetation with potable water is limited to two days per week from April to October, and one day per week from November to March;
—Obligations to repair leaks, breaks and malfunctions within 48 hours;
—Washing cars is prohibited except at commercial facilities that recycle water (all commercial car washes in Morgan Hill use recycled water);
—Filling and refilling (more than one foot) of residential pools is prohibited; filling of ornamental lakes or ponds is prohibited except as needed to maintain aquatic life.
The level 2 restrictions will effectively eliminate new swimming pool construction in Morgan Hill while the restrictions are in place, according to Morgan Hill Program Administrator Anthony Eulo.
A staff report presented to the council showed that available local water supplies—including city wells fed by the groundwater basin—have shrunk significantly due to the drought. This supply is typically supplemented by sources outside the Bay Area, which are also diminishing.
The city’s new restrictions were implemented the same day that Brown, standing on a dry, grassy hill top on the edge of the Sierra Mountain range that is normally covered with snow in April, issued mandatory water reductions in cities and towns across California.
Water providers are now required to figure out how to reduce consumption by 25 percent from 2013 levels, or else face fines, according to the governor’s office.
The governor’s plan also calls on local water suppliers, such as the Santa Clara Valley Water District, to adjust their rate schedules with “conservation pricing” to discourage water waste, according to the governor’s office.
The new conservation plan announced by Brown also includes:
—Replacing 50 million square feet of lawns throughout the state with drought tolerant landscaping, in partnership with local governments;
—Creating a temporary, statewide rebate program to replace old appliances with more efficient devices;
—Requiring campuses, golf courses, cemeteries and other large-scale landscaping to cut their water use;
—Prohibiting new homes and developments from irrigating with potable water unless they use drip irrigations systems.
Agricultural water users will also be required to report more information about their water use to state authorities, and could be fined if they fail to do so, according to Brown’s office.
Since the city implemented level 1 drought restrictions a year ago, local customers have cut water consumption by 20 percent, according to city staff. That’s in line with the state and water district’s previous call for a 20 percent voluntary reduction, and a higher percentage cut than any other city in Santa Clara County.
Check back for updates to this developing story.
