LUCERNE, Calif. — In light of worsening drought conditions, California Water Service requested to move into Stage 2 of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan in the Redwood Valley District with the California Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday.

The utility will host a public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 10, to educate Redwood Valley District customers about Stage 2 restrictions, which include outdoor watering limits and increased water waste penalties, and provide information on conservation programs and tools available to help customers reduce their water use.

The workshop will be held virtually at 6 p.m. on Zoom at https://calwater.zoom.us/j/96087482453.

Cal Water representatives will provide details about new irrigation restrictions as part of Stage 2 and discuss current prohibited uses of water.

Some of the restrictions include:

· Outdoor landscape irrigation is limited to two days per week between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., unless local ordinances state otherwise. Odd addresses water on Tuesday and Saturday, even addresses water on Wednesday and Sunday, and properties without street addresses water on Wednesday and Sunday.

· All leaks, breaks, or other malfunctions in a customer’s plumbing fixtures and/or irrigation system must be repaired within five business days of written notification by Cal Water.

· Vehicles may only be washed with a hose that has a shutoff nozzle or similar device.

· Water may not be used on driveways or sidewalks, unless for health and safety purposes.

· No watering of outdoor landscapes may occur during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.

· Restaurants may only serve water upon request, and hotels and motels must provide guests with the option of not having towels and linens laundered daily.

Customers will be receiving detailed information in the mail about Stage 2 and the meeting. The presentation will be available online at www.calwater.com after the meeting. If approved by the CPUC, Cal Water’s application would become effective Dec. 14, 2021.

“Just like the last drought, we are taking a customer-first approach and are here to help residents and businesses understand the requirements of Stage 2 of our Water Shortage Contingency Plan — which we have been preparing for since the last drought,” said Tavis Beynon, interim district manager.

“We also want our Redwood Valley District customers to know that we are here to help them reduce their water use as we face increasingly serious drought conditions. As part of our promise to provide customers quality, service, and value, we offer a variety of conservation programs and encourage them to take advantage of these resources to help save water every day,” Beynon said.

At the meeting, representatives will also provide details about Cal Water’s industry-leading conservation programs to help save water every day, including:

· Lawn-to-garden rebate of $3 per square foot of lawn removed and replaced with low-water use landscaping

· Spray-to-drip rebate of $0.50 per square foot of landscaping converted from standard spray irrigation to a drip system

· Rebates on high-efficiency appliances and devices, with certain rebates recently doubled

· A free smart landscape tune-up program that includes an irrigation system evaluation along with installation of efficient devices and repair of most irrigation leaks

· A free conservation kit that includes a garden hose nozzle with shutoff valve, high-efficiency showerheads, faucet aerators, and more for residential customers

Program details and additional conservation resources can be found on www.calwater.com/conservation.

Cal Water’s Redwood Valley District serves approximately 3,200 people through 1,900 service connections in Lucerne, Duncans Mills, Guerneville, Dillon Beach, and a portion of Santa Rosa and about 2 million people through 492,600 service connections in California. The utility has provided water service in the area since 2000. Additional information may be obtained online at www.calwater.com.