SAN JOSE, Calif., June 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of its drought management and response plan, California Water Service (Cal Water) officially enters Stage 2 of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan today in its Antelope Valley, Dixon, King City, Salinas, and Selma Districts. This brings all of Cal Water’s districts throughout the state into Stage 2, and is in alignment with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s March 28, 2022, Executive Order and the State Water Resources Control Board’s Emergency Water Conservation Regulation. Stage 2 includes additional outdoor watering limits and higher water waste penalties.

The utility regularly monitors and evaluates local water supply conditions, and began moving its service areas into Stage 2 as early as late last year as circumstances warranted it.

“Our customers did a great job stepping up and saving water during the last drought—a 26.8% reduction from summer 2015 to 2016, in fact—and we urge our customers to once again heed the call to reduce water use given these exceptionally dry conditions,” said Martin A. Kropelnicki, President and CEO.

In most of Cal Water’s service areas, outdoor landscape irrigation is now limited to two days per week as follows, between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., unless local ordinances state otherwise:

• Addresses ending with an odd number: Tuesday and Saturday
• Addresses ending with an even number or with no street number: Wednesday and Sunday

The utility’s Livermore and Westlake districts have different watering requirements in alignment with their other local water agencies.

Additionally, penalties for violating the prohibited uses of water have doubled in all districts. Some of the common requirements include:

• All leaks, breaks, or other malfunctions in a customer’s plumbing fixtures and/or irrigation system must be repaired within five business days of written notification by Cal Water.
• Vehicles may only be washed with a hose that has a shutoff nozzle or similar device.
• Water may not be used on driveways or sidewalks, unless for health and safety purposes.
• No watering of outdoor landscapes may occur during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.
• Restaurants may only serve water upon request, and hotels and motels must provide guests with the option of not having towels and linens laundered daily.

“This drought has become even more severe than the last drought. As we did then, we are taking a customer-first approach and partnering with our customers to achieve the needed savings,” Kropelnicki said. “We offer our customers a variety of conservation programs and encourage them to take advantage of these resources to help save water every day.”

Cal Water’s industry-leading conservation programs include:

• Lawn-to-garden rebate of $3 per square foot of lawn removed and replaced with low-water-use landscaping
• Spray-to-drip rebate of $0.50 per square foot of landscaping converted from standard spray irrigation to a drip system
• Rebates on high-efficiency appliances and devices, with certain rebates doubled
• A free smart landscape tune-up program that includes an irrigation system evaluation along with installation of efficient devices and repair of most irrigation leaks
• A free residential conservation kit that includes a garden hose nozzle with shutoff valve, high-efficiency showerheads, faucet aerators, and more for residential customers

To find more information about conservation programs, drought resources, and a full list of the prohibited uses of water, please visit calwater.com/drought.

Cal Water serves approximately 2 million people through 494,500 service connections in California. The utility has provided water service in the state since 1926. Additional information may be obtained online at www.calwater.com.

Contact: Yvonne Kingman, 310-257-1434