Rancho California Water District has moved to a lower level of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan following a wet winter that alleviated drought conditions across much of California. On May 18, the District’s Board of Directors voted to move to Stage 2, which is considered a water supply alert.
In January 2022, Rancho Water moved to Stage 3b of the Plan in response to the statewide drought emergency caused by several years of increasingly severe drought conditions and the State Water Resources Control Board’s adoption of the Drought Conservation Emergency Regulation. The primary focus of this move was on outreach and water efficiency education. Stage 3b also decreased inefficient water budgets by 50 percent and did not allow for variances to fill pools or establish landscape.
With the move to Stage 2, variances for filling swimming pools and establishing or expanding landscapes are once again allowed. In addition, water budgets for all tiers have been restored to 100 percent.
“During the emergency drought conditions, Rancho Water proactively enacted a balanced approach, reducing inefficient budgets to curtail excessive water usage but primarily focusing on long-term water-saving projects through community engagement efforts,” Rancho Water General Manager Robert Grantham said. “The district worked with our customers to conserve water without the need for penalties or fines.”
Some actions which provide water use and customer cost savings remain in place. These include irrigating landscape only between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m., not irrigating during rainfall or up to 48 hours after measurable rainfall, and requiring a hose to be fitted with a shutoff nozzle when washing motor vehicles. A full list of water conservation requirements can be found here.
Rancho Water encourages its customers to continue to do their part to save water resources through practical conservation measures. For more information about the water supply alert, current water conditions, and suggestions on what can be done to save water, visit RanchoWater.com/WaterHero.
Rancho Water serves approximately 150 square miles and more than 46,000 service connections in Temecula, Murrieta, and parts of unincorporated Riverside County.
