As of April 1, outdoor irrigation is restricted to two days per week through the end of October, but other year-round water use limitations remain in effect, according to City of Morgan Hill staff.
The restrictions are part of the city’s “Level 2” declaration of a water supply shortage, which the council approved in April 2015. The state of California is in an historic drought, prompting the governor and local municipalities to implement restrictions to reduce water consumption by at least 20 percent from 2013 levels.
Under Morgan Hill’s spring-through-summertime restrictions, which take effect April 1 and continue until Oct. 31, outdoor residential plant and landscape irrigation can take place only at certain addresses on certain days of the week (but no more than two days per residence). The specific regulations are as follows:
• Watering on Mondays and Thursdays for odd numbered addresses
• Tuesdays and Fridays for even numbered addresses
• No watering on weekends
• Irrigation is allowed before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m.
Watering is limited to no more than 15 minutes per station
The Level 2 restrictions during the fall and winter months only allowed residents to water their lawns and plants one day per week, according to city staff.
Year-round restrictions that remain in effect include:
• All leaks, breaks or other malfunctions must be repaired within 48 hours
• No washing down hard of paved surfaces
• Limits on filling ornamental lakes or ponds
• Limits on washing vehicles: Using potable water to wash any vehicle is prohibited except at a commercial car washing facility. The use of potable water to clean the windshield, windows or mirrors of a vehicle with the use of a hand held bucket or similar receptacle is permitted
City staff commended Morgan Hill residents for heeding the call to cut their water usage by 20 percent citywide. In 2015, residents saved more than 968 million gallons of water, according to city spokeswoman Maureen Tobin.
Water waste can be reported in Morgan Hill by calling (408) 310-4195, or by visiting the city’s website at morganhill.ca.gov.
For more information on the city’s water restrictions, visit mhdrought.com.
For water saving tips and information on rebates from the Santa Clara Valley Water District, visit save20gallons.org.
