Burlingame residents will now need to adhere to new water use restrictions, including limits on lawn watering to two days a week as regional conservation efforts ramp up amid the state’s worsening drought.
The City Council adopted the restrictions following a call from state water regulators for local suppliers to enact plans preparing for impending water shortages. Many other cities on the Peninsula are already adhering to similar rules — which fall in line with “stage 2” of the state’s six-tiered water contingency plan — and cities that aren’t will likely adopt the restrictions in coming months.
The rules, effective June 10, prohibit “residential and commercial landscapes” from being watered more than two days per week, and between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Washing vehicles is also banned, except for with recycled water.
Exceptions for lawn watering are made for “new landscaping installed in the plant establishment period,” and if drip, bubbler, hand-watering with a shut-off nozzle and “other water-efficient irrigation systems” are used.
Since April, San Mateo, South San Francisco and San Carlos residents, who are within California Water Service’s Bayshore District, have been allowed to water lawns only on staggered days of the week, those with odd address numbers on Tuesday and Saturday, even numbers on Wednesday and Sunday. Vehicles are allowed to be washed but fines for other violations, like leaking plumbing, are doubled.
Redwood City also enacted a two-day-per-week staggered watering schedule at the beginning of the year, and Foster City announced this week a new set of restrictions including limits on lawn watering to three days per week and a ban on filling swimming pools.
San Bruno city staff indicated restrictions would be brought to the City Council for adoption in coming months, and the Millbrae City Council is set to discuss similar rules during its meeting this week.
“Most of the [Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency] members are also adopting these regulations,” Burlingame Public Works Director Syed Murtuza, said.
The city already had in place “level 1” restrictions as of last year, which included banning runoff from irrigation, requiring shut-off nozzles on hoses when washing vehicles and banning hosing down driveways or sidewalks except for “health and safety purposes.” Restaurants have also been required to serve water only upon request.
Stage 2 rules aim for up to a 20% reduction in water use. The State Water Resources Control Board last month voted to require stage 2 plans be put in motion around the state, citing increased water consumption as drought conditions intensify.
The board also outlawed the use of potable water for irrigating “nonfunctional” grass (that which is “solely ornamental”) at commercial, industrial and institutional properties, a statewide rule likely to take effect in coming weeks.
Nearly the entire state, including San Mateo County, is now within a “severe drought” classification, which entails a longer fire season, stress on trees and plants and inadequate grazing land, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. Roughly 60% is within an extreme drought, which means inadequate water for agriculture, wildlife and urban needs.
But data released this week show urban water use (which excludes agriculture) in the state was up 17% in April over last year, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom last July calling for a voluntary water reduction of 15% statewide, and an executive order from his office this March calling on local water agencies to escalate their response.
The state’s increased urban water use appears to be driven largely by Southern California residents while the Bay Area’s use has remained largely consistent and some Northern California regions have reduced use.
Meanwhile, Hetch Hetchy, the reservoir that supplies water to 2.7 million people in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda and San Mateo counties, is expected to be full heading into the dry season next year despite below-average snowpack levels, according to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the agency that owns and operates the system. The question is how much of the water will be available, as negotiations continue that could partially divert it to ecosystems and fisheries in the Bay-Delta, among other uses.
Murtuza said the last time Burlingame implemented water use restrictions during the state’s drought in 2015, the city successfully reduced its water consumption by 25%, though, he said he did not have figures for current reduction rates.
He said the city’s efforts to gain compliance to the new rules will primarily be focused on education.
“The goal is to not issue fines, though, the city can in the event it’s warranted. But most of the focus is going to be education that will actually yield more results,” he said. “There will be a lot of staff time dedicated to this effort to conduct inspection, do outreach and respond to complaints.”
In addition, Councilmember Donna Colson suggested the city look into rules dissuading the installation of new turf lawns, which require large amounts of water during their establishment period.
“I just can’t stand to see these new houses being built, all this lawn being put in and then just watering and watering and watering,” she said.
Mayor Ricardo Ortiz agreed a rule should be examined during a later meeting.
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