NorCal Outdoor Water Restrictions
The following outdoor water conservation requirements apply to most of us in the industry. Violations are viewed as either a civil or criminal infraction punishable by a fine of $500 per day, and may result in the installment of a ‘flow restrictor’ or a shut off of the water source.
- Any lawn, landscape, or other vegetated irrigation occurring between the hours of 10:00 am and 6:00 pm on any day, except by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container, a hand-held hose equipped with a positive self-closing water shut-off nozzle or device, or for very short periods of time for the express purpose of adjusting or repairing an irrigation system.
- Watering or irrigating a lawn, landscape or other vegetated area in a manner that causes or allows excessive water flow or runoff onto an adjoining sidewalk, driveway, street, alley, gutter or ditch.
- Washing down hard or paved surfaces, including but not limited to sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking areas, tennis courts, patios or alleys except when necessary to alleviate safety or sanitary hazards, and then only by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container, a hand-held hose equipped with a positive self-closing water shut-off device, a low-volume, high-pressure cleaning machine equipped to recycle any water used, or a low-volume high-pressure water broom.
- Excessive use, loss or escape of water through breaks, leaks or other malfunctions in the water user’s plumbing or distribution system for any period of time after such escape of water should have reasonably been discovered and corrected and in no event more than seven (7) days of receiving notice from California American Water Company
- Operating a water fountain or other decorative water feature that does not use re-circulated water.
- Use of potable water for watering streets with trucks, except for initial wash-down for construction purposes (if street sweeping is not feasible), or to protect the health and safety of the public;
- Use of potable water for construction purposes, such as consolidation of backfill, dust control, or other uses unless no other source of water or other method can be used and authorize by the utility;
- Use of potable water for construction purposes unless no other source of water or other method can be used.
Source: http://www.amwater.com/caaw/page22725.html