Thanks to ongoing efforts to conserve water and maintaining a “level 1 drought response” ever since the last drought ended in 2017, Carlsbad Municipal Water District customers will not face any additional restrictions on water use as a result of recent state and regional drought declarations. Instead, the district will ramp up its efforts to encourage additional water conservation through voluntary measures.
Carlsbad Municipal Water District customers have reduced per capita water usage by about half since 2008.
Following the governor’s Oct. 19 proclamation calling on all counties in California to voluntarily reduce water use by 15%, the San Diego County Water Authority activated level 1 of its drought response plan Oct. 28. Because the San Diego County region has invested significantly in conservation, water storage and new, more reliable water supplies, the water authority’s action calls for a 10% voluntary reduction in the water use rather than the 15% recommended by the state.
The San Diego County Water Authority is the region’s wholesale water agency. The Carlsbad Municipal Water District is one of 24 member agencies that purchase water from the water authority and deliver it to local customers, covering about 85% of the city. Two other member agencies serve Carlsbad, the Olivenhain Municipal Water District in the south and Vallecitos Water District in a small portion of southeast Carlsbad.
With the Carlsbad Municipal Water District maintaining a “level 1 drought response” ever since the last drought, the measures included in the water authority’s drought response plan activation were already in place in Carlsbad. These include things like:
Landscape irrigation is allowed on any day of the week, however water officials recommend no more than three days a week.
Water only between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. to reduce water lost to evaporation.
Keep all irrigation water on your property. Runoff from irrigation is prohibited by the Carlsbad Municipal Code.
Stop water waste from inefficient landscape irrigation, such as runoff, overspray and misdirected sprinklers.
Use a bucket or a hose with a shutoff nozzle when watering landscaped areas with no irrigation system.
Turn off irrigation during and 48 hours after rain.
Watering is permitted any time with a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle, a bucket, or when a drip/micro-irrigation system/equipped is used.
Don’t wash down hard surfaces, such as driveways, patios, sidewalks and parking lots with a hose, unless necessary for safety or sanitation.
Only use decorative fountains that use recirculated water.
Repair all water leaks within five days of notification from the water district.
A full list of actions included in Carlsbad’s level 1 drought response, along with programs and tips to help conserve more, are available on the city’s website.
October 2021 marked the second driest year on record in California, and the state’s largest water storage reservoirs are near record lows. With another dry year in the forecast, water officials encourage everyone to do their part to conserve as much water as possible.
More information
Water conservation tips and information
Governor’s drought declaration
San Diego County Water Authority’s drought plan
