The City of Solvang declared a Stage 2 Drought Condition on August 23, 2021. For as long as the Stage 2 Drought condition exists the following water regulations and other such regulations as may be adopted by resolution of the city council, shall apply to all use of water that is provided by the city water supply system:
Subsection B - Mandatory Stage Two Regulations (subject to penalties)
- Mandatory reduction in water use from the specified prior benchmark year’s average monthly water usage by all city customers of 20% based on customer class as follows (Benchmark year is Fiscal Year 2019-20):
a. Single family residential customers water usage penalties shall be tiered with no penalty for the allowed residential usage as determined by City Council resolution and increasing to 1.5 times the current water rate as the second tier and 2.0 times the current rate for that amount over the second tier.b.
b. Commercial/industrial/institutional customer water usage penalties shall be tiered with no penalty for allowed benchmark year percentage usage as determined by City Council resolution and increasing to 1.5 times the current water rate as the second tier and 2.0 times the current rate for that amount over the second tier.
c. Irrigation only customer water usage penalties shall be as follows:
i. 0-50% of usage compared to the same month in the benchmark year = No penalty: Current water rate.
ii. >50% of usage compared to the same month in the benchmark year = Penalty = 2.0x current water rate, and one-time warning. Second month and each additional month over = $500 penalty.
d. Multi-family residential/mobile home customer water usage penalties shall be as follows:
i. 0-90% of usage compared to the same month in the benchmark year = No penalty: Current water rate.
ii. >90% of usage compared to the same month in the benchmark year = Penalty = 1.5x current water rate.
2. Outdoor irrigation of ornamental landscapes or turf shall be limited to no more than two days per week. Watering shall be restricted to Mondays and Thursdays for addresses ending in even numbers, and to Tuesday and Fridays for addresses ending in odd numbers.
3. The use of water for flushing of water mains, and fire department training exercises shall be allowed only upon written approval of the City Manager.
4. The use of water in a fountain or other decorative water feature, except where the water is part of a recirculating system, is prohibited.
5. The penalty for a second violation of any Stage One or Stage Two Drought Regulation shall be set by City Council resolution (currently $100 per occurrence), after a written warning upon the first violation.
6. Each of the Stage One Drought Regulations set forth in subsections A1 through A8 (and listed below) of this section shall remain in force where not in conflict with the provisions of this Subsection B.
Subsection A - Mandatory Stage One Regulations (subject to penalties)
1. (Superseded by B1 above.)
2. Irrigation of turf such as school yards, parks, ball fields, golf courses, green spaces, etc., shall be allowed only between the hours of 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM.
3. All restaurants that provide table service shall post, in a conspicuous place, a notice of drought condition and shall refrain from serving water except upon specific request by a customer.
4. Operators of hotels, motels, and other commercial establishments offering lodging shall post in each room a notice of drought condition containing water conservation information. Linens and towels shall be washed no more than every second day for guests staying more than one night. (A separate notice of these restrictions shall be provided by the operator to all new guests upon arrival.)
5. Exterior sprinkler watering of plants, lawns, shrubbery, ground cover, etc., shall be permitted only between the hours of 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM during the months of March through October, and only between the hours of 4:00 PM to 10:00 AM during the months of November through February.
6. Vehicles shall be washed only at commercial car washing facilities (no hand car washing allowed).
7. The washing of hard surfaces such as driveways and sidewalks shall be prohibited except where necessary to protect the public health and safety.
8. The loss of water through breaks or leaks in any water user's plumbing must be corrected within twenty four (24) hours of the user's knowledge of that condition.
The application of water to outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes runoff such that water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, parking lots, or structures is also prohibited.