Oroville, Chico Cal Water districts enter Stage 2 of Water Shortage Contingency

BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. — Chico and Oroville Cal Water districts have moved into stage two of their Water Shortage Contingency Plan.

"Water agencies throughout the state have been required by the governor to move into stage two of their water shortage contingency plans, so we want to make sure that we're doing our part and trying to meet those conservation targets that have been set by the state," saidEvan Markey, the manager of the Chico district.

Customers are now required to limit their outdoor watering to two days per week from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Odd-ending addresses can water on Tuesdays and Saturdays; even-ending addresses on Wednesdays and Sundays.

"If we do get into the penalty phase, the first offense is a warning, and then there could be penalties after that. The first penalty is $50. They can get that removed if they agree to participate in our smart irrigation landscape tune-up, which is a free program that we offer."

The program includes an irrigation system evaluation along with installation of efficient devices and repair of most irrigation leaks.

Cal Water also offers a number of rebates to help customers further conserve water such as a lawn-to-garden rebate of $3 per square foot of lawn removed and replaced with low-water-use landscaping and a spray-to-drip rebate of $0.50 per square foot of landscaping converted from standard spray irrigation to a drip system.

In addition to outdoor watering, below is a list of other customer water conservation requirements.

• 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

--

To report errors or issues with this article please email the editorial team.