Water Cutting Measures

A plan for mandatory measures to curb water usage in Temecula and Murrieta will be discussed Tuesday by the Rancho California Water District Board of Directors. The board will consider adopting Stage 3 of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan, which would open the door to penalizing customers who do not meet conservation and efficiency targets. The district currently has a voluntary water conservation policy in place. According to a staff report, remaining at the voluntary stage is not recommended as water precipitation and snowpack melts remain below normal levels.

Under Stage 3, which has a reduction target of 10 to 20 percent, household customers would have to water and irrigate lawns and landscaping between midnight and 6 a.m., and no more than every other day. Residents at addresses with odd-numbered last digits would only be able to water on odd-numbered days of the month, while residents with addresses ending in even digits would be allowed to water on even days.

No replacement water would be allowed for residential ponds or lakes, and decorative fountains would have to be turned off and emptied in order to keep insects away. Sprinkler oversprays onto sidewalks and driveways, already discouraged on a voluntary basis, would be prohibited under Stage 3 measures, as would be using a hose to clean driveways, sidewalks or other hardscapes. Unspecified penalties for non-compliance would be imposed.