Otay Lifts Mandatory Water Conservation

Otay Lifts Mandatory Water Conservation

13:19 12 July in News

Otay Water District has voted to rescind its Water Shortage Response Level 2 declaration. The state allows urban water suppliers to self-certify they have enough water to meet customer demand.

Otay’s water supplier, the San Diego County Water Authority (CWA), has certified that it has sufficient water supplies to meet demands of all of its member agencies, even during three years of drought.

Because of new state guidelines and CWA’s action, Otay customers are no longer subject to mandatory water conservation.

Even as mandatory conservation ends, public awareness campaigns will continue. In addition, the District’s customer leak notification program will still to be used to communicate the importance of long-term water use efficiency.

Water conservation is voluntary. However, the following practices remain in effect:

  • Please prevent water waste resulting from inefficient irrigation, such as runoff or overspray. This includes stopping water flows onto non-targeted areas such as adjacent property, sidewalks, driveways, roadways, or structures.
  • Restaurants and other food service establishments should continue to serve and refill water in only upon request.
  • Hotels, motels, and other commercial lodging establishments must offer guests the option of not laundering towels and linens daily.
  • Fountains or other decorative water features must re-circulated water.
  • When washing automobiles, motorhomes, boats or recreational vehicles, a hose equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle is required.
  • Irrigating ornamental turf on public street medians can only be performed using recycled water. The “median” is the center strip of land in the roadway.
  • Repair all water leaks within 48 hours of notification by the District.
  • Irrigation is not allowed during a rainstorm, or for 48 hours after one-quarter inch or more of rainfall is measured at Lindbergh Field.
  • No washing down of paved surfaces including sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or patios, except when necessary to alleviate safety or sanitation hazards.

Regional Supply Sufficiency – May 2016 Emergency Regulation

The Water Authority and its member agencies have sufficient water supplies to meet demands even during three additional dry years and won’t be subject to state-mandated water-use reductions through January 2017, according to Water Authority calculations.