New Lawn Watering Ban Takes Effect Jan 1

On December 6, Council adopted a regulation banning lawn watering with limited exceptions as we go into the sixth year of drought. This regulation will take effect January 1, 2017 and is intended to increase conservation given projected water shortages that are to occur during peak demand months in summer 2017.

During summer months, there is a higher water demand due to landscape irrigation and the City anticipates that with current limited water supplies, it will be unable to meet water demands during these highest water use periods. In the last year, customers have reduced water use by 35 percent and with the lawn watering ban, the community can extend that achievement to 40 percent, which will be enough to overcome projected peak water shortages.

Beginning the lawn watering ban in January allows the City to begin saving additional water now, while also educating customers about the regulation and providing information about landscape care before the heat of spring and summer.

The regulation is specific to turfgrass watering, also referred to as lawn watering, which has limited exceptions. The focus on lawns allows for critical water savings, and prioritizes outdoor water use to preserve high value landscaping such as trees and shrubs.

For more information on water supplies, drought planning, regulations please visit and SantaBarbaraCA.gov/Drought.

Thank you for taking action, we are all in this together.

  

Trees in climates like Santa Barbara's should be watered even in years when we're getting enough rain-but during times of drought, they need our help more than ever. When watering trees it is important to water where it counts, use appropriate watering methods, account for age and species, and apply mulch. The information below will guide you on how to water your trees effectively during the drought and save water.