Santa Rosa asks residents to cut water use by 20%

Santa Rosa is requesting that residents voluntarily cut back their water use immediately by 20% compared to 2020.

The council passed the resolution Tuesday in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent drought declaration for the Russian River watershed and the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership’s request for a 20% regionwide reduction in water use to preserve the water supply.

"To achieve necessary water savings, we all need to take action now,” Mayor Chris Rogers said in a news release. “Changing simple habits, like reducing your irrigation run times and shortening showers, can make a big difference and will help us to meet our communitywide water-savings target.”

Santa Rosa Water is asking all residents to eliminate water waste and adopt water-saving behaviors by finding and fixing leaks, reducing outdoor irrigation, taking shorter showers and turning off the water while brushing their teeth.

The department will host a Drought Drop-By event on June 12 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Parking Lot B (at the corner of Brookwood Avenue and Bennett Valley Road) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Participants can pick up a water-saving kit that includes a bucket, high-efficiency showerheads, faucet aerators, shower timer, and more. Additional details are provided at srcity.org/DroughtDropBy.

If possible, the city is asking residents to make permanent changes, like converting their lawn into low water use landscapes or replacing inefficient water fixtures with high-efficiency devices. Santa Rosa Water offers water-saving tips, free devices and numerous rebates. For more information, visit srcity.org/WaterSmart.

You can reach Staff Writer Kathleen Coates at kathleen.coates@pressdemocrat.com.