Governor Issues First-Ever Mandatory Water Restrictions As PWP’s Outdoor Watering Rules Go Into Effect

Gov. Jerry Brown announced mandatory water restrictions for the first time in California history on Wednesday, as here in Pasadena special summer limited watering rules went into effect.

As part of the City’s Level 1 Water Supply Shortage Plan Pasadena property owners will be limited to watering outdoors three days per week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from April 1  to October 31.

This is the spring/summer watering schedule defined in the Level 1 plan (note from November 1 to March 31, outdoor watering is restricted to one day per week as part of the Level 1 fall/winter watering schedule.) Additionally, Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) reminds customers to adjust their sprinkler timers to water before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

PWP customers can report water waste to the Pasadena Citizen Service Center at (626) 744-7311 or through the online form. Fines for repeat offenders can be up to $500 per violation for residential customers and up to $1,000 per violation for commercial accounts.

The City Council approved Pasadena’s existing Water Waste Prohibitions and Water Supply Shortage Plans Ordinance in 2009 and enacted the Level 1 plan on July 28, 2014. The key water waste prohibitions currently in effect for all PWP water customers include:

•Outdoor watering three days per week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, during the spring and summer months, April 1 through October 31. Property owners can water one day per week November 1 through March 31.
•No watering outdoors between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., except with a handheld container or hose with a shutoff nozzle.
•No watering during periods of rain.
•All water leaks must be fixed within 72 hours.
•No excessive water flow or runoff onto pavement, gutters or ditches from watering or irrigating landscapes or vegetation of any kind.
•No washing down paved surfaces unless for safety or sanitation, in which case a bucket, a hose with a shutoff nozzle, a cleaning machine that recycles water or a low-volume/high-pressure water broom must be used.
•No washing vehicles except by using a handheld bucket or similar container or hose equipped with a water shutoff nozzle.