Drought Information

Latest Drought News

 

Stage 0 Drought Condition

On April 10, 2024, CVWD Board of Directors approved Ordinance 24-1 lowering the Drought Condition from Stage 1 to Stage 0 effective April 26, 2024. While Stage 0 encourages continued water saving practices, certain water use restrictions remain in effect as outlined in the Summary of Stage 0 Drought Condition Regulations.

Stage 1 Drought Condition: Voluntary Demand Reduction

CVWD Board of Directors approved Ordinance 23-1 lowering the Drought Condition from Stage 3 to Stage 1 effective April 26, 2023. While Stage 1 includes a voluntary reduction in water use, certain water use restrictions remain in effect as outlined in the Summary of Stage 1 Drought Condition Regulations

Governor Newsom Eases Drought Restrictions

On Friday, March 24, 2023, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-5-23 rolling back some drought emergency restrictions but maintaining others. The recent rain storms have helped ease drought conditions for a majority of the state but there are still some regions and communities experiencing water supply shortages, especially those that rely heavily on groundwater supplies which have been severely depleted during the drought. The state also announced an anticipated increase in state water allocations from 35% to 75% allocation.

Listed below are the restrictions that have ended and those that remain with the implementation of EO N-5-23.

• Ends the voluntary 15% water conservation target, while continuing to encourage that Californians make conservation a way of life;
• Ends the requirement that local water agencies implement level 2 of their drought contingency plans;
• Maintains the ban on wasteful water uses, such as watering ornamental grass on commercial properties;
• Preserves all current emergency orders focused on groundwater supply, where the effects of the multi-year drought continue to be devastating;
• Maintains orders focused on specific watersheds that have not benefited as much from recent rains, including the Klamath River and Colorado River basins, which both remain in drought;
• Retains a state of emergency for all 58 counties to allow for drought response and recovery efforts to continue.

 

California Emergency Drought Regulations

On May 24, 2022, the State Water Resources Control Board, in response to Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-7-22, adopted emergency regulations to address severe drought conditions across California. Under the regulations, Carpinteria Valley Water District is required to implement certain water shortage response actions contained in its Water Shortage Contingency Plan, chapter 6 of its Urban Water Management Plan.

One of the statewide emergency water conservation regulations bans using potable (drinkable) water on decorative or non-functional grass at commercial, industrial, institutional and homeowner association properties went into effect on Friday, June 10, 2022.

The regulation’s ban on watering non-functional turf (turf is defined as mowed grass) at commercial, industrial, and institutional properties include areas like the grass in front of or next to large commercial buildings and common areas managed by homeowners’ associations. The ban does not include watering grass used for human recreation or other community activities, watering residential grass or watering trees. Additional details are available on the State website.

Current Rainfall & Cachuma Reservoir Information

Interested to know how much rainfall we received from our most recent storm or the percentage of Lake Cachuma's current capacity ? Click here to view Santa Barbara County rainfall and reservoir information.

 

U.S. Drought Monitor Map of California

View drought intensity levels for the state by clicking here.

 

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How CVWD Customers Can Help

 

Sign up for EyeOnWater

EyeOnWater allows customer's to view their water consumption and set automatic continuous flow/leak alert notifications. For information on how to sign up for EyeOnWater, click here.

Fix Leaks Immediately

Leaks occur both inside the home and with your outdoor irrigation system. Depending on the location and size of the leak, you could be wasting hundreds of gallons of water each day.

Install Efficient Appliances and Fixtures

Replace older appliances with water efficient products, including toilets, washing machines and showerheads. High-efficiency toilets, for example, save approximately 19 gallons per person each day. Visit CVWD's Rebates page for eligible fixtures and appliances.

Water Landscape Without Waste

Adjust your sprinkler times based on the climate by using the Watering % Adjust feature available at WaterWiseSB.org. Installing a drip irrigation system and smart controller can help make sure you aren’t wasting water on landscaping that doesn’t need it.

Create a Water-Wise Landscape

Swap out high-water use plants with native and water wise plants that use little to no water once established. Visit Calscape and Water Wise Gardening in Santa Barbara County for inspiration. Information on the District's WaterWise Landscape Rebate can be found here.