Drought Ready SCV
Drought Ready SCV
Keep Conserving Water, SCV: It's a California Way of Life
Check our our recent water conservation mailer, highlighting the latest on our water supplies, along with current Statewide water waste restrictions, as well as resources and rebate programs to help you continue to save water and money!
While rain and snow provided significant water throughout the state and the SCV early in 2023, consecutive, multi-year drought and existing impacts on our groundwater supplies will take time to build back our banked reserves for future dry years.
We must all continue to do our part to save water and reduce water waste for future droughts. Long-term conservation actions will stretch supplies during future shortages, achieve community sustainability and support and enhance the fantastic quality of life we enjoy in the SCV.
SCV Water offers our customers many programs, rebates and incentives to help them switch to long-term water-efficiency practices that will ensure a sustainable future.
Action Needed to Bank Water for Our Future
Although SCV Water has moved toward hitting our planned yearly conservation targets, our banked water supplies (stored in Kern County) need to be replenished.
Although SCV Water has moved toward normal conservation program levels of 2 to 3% annually, our customers will need to continue conservating, so we can replenish the 45% of banked water used during the drought and grow our banked supply for future years.
What it Means for Our Customers
SCV Water has deactivated its Water Shortage Contingency Plan and Water Conservation and Water Supply Shortage Ordinance. We thank your customers for conserving 4.1 billion gallons of water from May 2022 to June 2023.
What this means for our customers is that we have returned to our normal water conservation and water use efficiency conditions.
With the Governor's statewide drought emergency declaration still in effect, the State Water Resources Control Board has continued emergency regulations restricting water waste activities.
Mandatory Statewide Watering Restrictions in Place
Yes. The Governor's Drought Emergency Order is still in effect. While rain and snow provided significant water throughout the state and the SCV, consecutive, multi-year drought and existing impacts on our groundwater supplies will take time to build back our banked reserves for future dry years.
The following mandatory restrictions for all Californians are still in place and prohibit common sense water waste activities:
- Allowing runoff when watering with potable water.
- Using potable water to wash sidewalks and driveways, except for health or safety reasons.
- Using hoses with no shutoff nozzles to wash cars.
- Watering outdoors during and within 48 hours following measurable rainfall.
- Using potable water in decorative water features that do not recirculate the water.
- Using potable water to irrigate non-functional turf at commercial, industrial, and institutional sites.
Potable water is not prohibited to the extent necessary to ensure the health of trees and other perennial non-turf plantings or for health and safety needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will I be fined or penalized if I don't comply with mandatory restrictions?
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No. SCV Water will continue to notify customers when such activities have been verified.
With the deactivation of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan – Stage 2, and the Water Conservation and Water Supply Ordinance No. 2, the Agency will not issue fines or penalties but reserves the right to act on egregious and uncorrected cases of water waste via its Customer Service Policy.
- Is the statewide non-functional turf (NFT) ban still in place for CII customers?
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Yes, the statewide NFT ban is still in place for Commercial, Industrial and Institutional CII customers. The continued NFT ban signals a need for Californians to continue to use water wisely.
NFT is grass that is not used for recreation or other community activities. This ban does not prohibit using recycled water for irrigating NFT.
For more information about NFT, visit our NFT webpage.
- How can I save water?
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Adopt an SCV-friendly, water-efficient lifestyle. Being water conscious in and around our homes, businesses, schools and landscapes is part of our So Cal way of life. We can recognize the benefits and value water provides to the Santa Clarita Valley and take steps to reduce water inefficiency and waste—all while keeping our trees and beautiful gardens intact.
SCV Water offers its customers a variety of rebates and programs to help customers save water and money.
Rebates and programs include lawn replacement; irrigation and efficiency product rebates; free home check-ups, workshops and more.
Learn more about SCV Water’s Conservation Rebate Programs and visit our Water Saving Actions and Resources page for important information to save water.
- How is SCV Water preparing for future droughts?
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Our customers come first, and we continue to implement new strategies and invest in new technologies and infrastructure to increase our regional water supply reliability:
Rebates and programs include lawn replacement; irrigation and efficiency product rebates; free home check-ups, workshops, and more. Visit www.yourSCVwater.com/rebates for full details.
Together with our customers, we’ve made significant investments in developing, maintaining, and managing drought-resilient water supplies, including allocating more than $123 million (in fiscal year 2023-24) to capital improvement projects.
Our Groundwater Sustainability Plan and Urban Water Management Plan direct our long-term resource planning to guarantee water supplies are available to meet future water needs.
Planning for periodic dry years and drought is part of responsible water management in California. SCV Water, as well as other water agencies throughout the state, have developed plans to address times of drought.
SCV Water offers its customers a variety of rebates and programs to help customers save water and money.
Report Water Waste
Neighbors and businesses may not even realize they have a leak, overspray, run-off or other wasteful condition. Help save water by reporting water waste in the SCV so we can make every drop count.
Drought Resources
Our top priority is communicating with our customers about the drought and how they can practice long-term conservation measures and reduce water waste. The resources on our Water Saving Actions and Resources page will provide you with important information to save water.
