What is allowed, still not allowed now that Santa Rosa has ended its drought emergency
With Santa Rosa’s drought emergency ending, residents will be allowed to water their lawn any time of day and will soon be able to clean their patios and driveways without water restrictions.
But some measures remain in effect.
Water users must comply with statewide water savings measures issued by the State Water Resources Control Board. State measures call for residential and commercial water users to reduce their water use by prohibiting or limiting:
— Washing vehicles without a shut-off nozzle.
— Washing hard surfaces like driveways or sidewalks.
— Filling decorative fountains, lakes or ponds without a recirculation pump.
— Watering decorative grass in commercial, industrial or institutional areas.
The state emergency also requires cities to implement additional reductions outlined in Stage 2 of their shortage plans until June. Santa Rosa’s measures require restaurants to only serve water if requested and hotels to notify customers that linens will only be washed if asked.
Remaining measures will be phased out by end of the year, unless rescinded earlier or extended by the State Water Board.
Paulina Pineda
Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park city reporter
Decisions made by local elected officials have some of the biggest day-to-day impacts on residents, from funding investments in roads and water infrastructure to setting policies to address housing needs and homelessness. As a city reporter, I want to track those decisions and how they affect the community while also highlighting areas that are being neglected or can be improved.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: