Turlock tightens watering rules

The city’s tighter rules on outdoor watering start Wednesday – only two days a week because of a drought that just keeps getting worse.

The Turlock City Council raised no objection when the city’s staff Tuesday night recommended the move. Residents had been able to water three days a week, but now they will have to make do with two, along with a shorter window of time each day.

The goal is to ease the stress on Turlock’s water system, supplied entirely by wells, and to prepare for a likely 35 percent reduction ordered by the state.

“The drought has reduced groundwater recharge and placed a strain on groundwater resources,” said Michael Cooke, municipal services director for the city.

A council vote was not needed, but Mayor Gary Soiseth read a proclamation that underscored the gravity of the matter.

Homes with even-numbered addresses can irrigate lawns and other landscaping only on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Odd-numbered homes can do it on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Weekday watering must be done before 6 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Weekend use will be from midnight to noon. The rules exempt drip irrigation systems, which are more efficient than sprinklers.

Gov. Jerry Brown has ordered a 25 percent reduction in urban water use across the state, but the specific levels for each city vary under rules proposed by the State Water Resources Control Board. Some are as low as 10 percent, such as San Francisco, which has a cool climate and small yards. Turlock and many other Central Valley cities face a 35 percent cut, although Turlock might submit data to justify a smaller reduction.

The cuts would be from 2013 levels, so Turlock would get credit for conservation in 2014, the third year of the drought.

Cooke said the city is using the same amount of water as 20 years ago, when it had about 50,000 residents compared with 70,000 today. Meters, conservation and other efforts have helped.

“However, these are desperate times, and they do demand desperate measures,” Cooke said.

The city plans to hire part-time people to check for watering violations. Customers will get two warnings before the $25 fine for a first offense is levied.

Commercial landscaping and city parks will get similar reductions, and the city plans to put up signs noting that nonpotable water is used for some landscaping.

Soiseth said city staff members will work to ensure green places for families to play, even with the reduced water use.

“I know that our city will rise to the occasion and we will meet whatever threshold is put out by the state,” he said.

This story was originally published April 14, 2015 at 8:47 PM with the headline "Turlock tightens watering rules."