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Roseville announces a 20% water conservation requirement

Stage 2 drought declaration establishes specific watering days and enforcement measures, according to the City of Roseville Environmental Utilities.

ROSEVILLE, Calif. — Roseville residents will be required to reduce their water usage starting Monday, Aug. 9.

The city of Roseville Environmental Utilities announced on Tuesday water users would be required to reduce water use by 20%. Initially, a 10% voluntary water use reduction was announced in May to recognize how the water supply has gotten worse over the years, starting at Folsom Lake and throughout California.

Although Roseville continues to receive water from Folsom Lake, they are still worried about drought conditions, especially throughout the fall and winter seasons.

“The drought situation is becoming more urgent. In these hot summer months, now it’s time for everyone to work together to conserve water for our community and our region,” Sean Bigley, assistant director of water, said in the press release. “We’re here to help residents reduce water use by 20 percent through information about watering days, water-smart practices, and available rebates. We will even make free house calls.”  

Landscape watering is the single most significant use of water and accounts for up to 60% of water use during the summer months, according to Roseville Environmental Utilities in the press release. As part of the mandatory 20% reduction in water use, Roseville is implementing the following landscape watering restrictions, effective Aug. 9:

  • Landscape watering may only occur three days per week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
  • Landscape watering at businesses and other non-residential sites may only occur on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
  • Watering restrictions do not apply to drip irrigation systems. 
  • Effective September 1, watering days will be reduced to two days per week.
  • Residents may only wash vehicles if the hose is equipped with a shut-off nozzle. (Commercial car washes that use low-volume and recirculating water systems are permitted to operate.) 
  • Enforcement actions for non-compliance with the 20% conservation requirement will begin on August 15. 

“We know that Roseville residents will step up to reduce their water use, as they have done in previous droughts,” Bigley said in the press release. “Reducing water by 20 percent is the prudent next step to ensure our community and economy can continue to thrive in these conditions. With our water infrastructure investments and water supply agreements, we have ensured that the water we save now will be available to us next year when water supply conditions could become even tighter.”

The drought has already caused change for Roseville residents despite the mandated water restrictions just being announced. Christine Dorris and her husband do landscaping. She said they've seen an uptick in clients redoing their yards to be more drought-friendly in Roseville and the surrounding areas.

Other Roseville businesses like Leafy, a plant nursery in Roseville's Westfield Galleria, said they're concerned about the water shortages.

"We do everything in our power to lessen our water consumption," Leafy manager Larry Groves said.

Groves said the business has implemented a strict watering schedule and focused on ways to reduce water consumption, including slightly less sunlight to reduce photosynthesis and bottom watering to use water more efficiently.

For more water-saving ideas, visit Roseville.ca.us/drought.

WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Survey: Water supply and drought top environmental concerns for Californians

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