Santa Monica : 20% Water Cutback Ends

A 20% mandatory water conservation measure officially ended Tuesday night when the City Council suspended the emergency measure and replaced it with a voluntary cutback of 10%.

Customers who use more than 80% of their 1990 allocations will no longer be billed at penalty rates.

The move follows a similar move by the Metropolitan Water District, the regional water wholesaler that supplies the city with its water, and comes in response to the end of nearly six years of drought in Southern California.

The council reminded customers that the region remains chronically short of water, urged continued conservation and pointed out that several restrictions on water use will remain in place.

It will remain illegal to water landscapes more than twice a week unless reclaimed water is used, and watering will continue to be restricted between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Hosing off walkways, patios, driveways alleys and parking areas will continue to be violations of the city’s water conservation ordinance, and hoses used for washing cars must be equipped with quick-release shut-off nozzles.

New swimming pools, hot tubs, and decorative fountains and ponds will be allowed if they incorporate water-saving measures. A mitigation fee equal to the estimated first-year water use of such amenities will be required before a building permit is issued.