Water Use Efficiency Measures

Poway water customers are encouraged to comply with water use efficiency measures, defined in the Poway Municipal Code Chapter 8.94:

1. Irrigate for no more than three (3) days per week.  Customer selects the days to irrigate.
2. Irrigate residential and commercial landscape between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. only.
3. Do not allow water waste from inefficient landscape irrigation, such as runoff, low head drainage, or overspray and do not allow water flows onto nontargeted areas, such as adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, hardscapes, roadways, or structures.
4. Irrigate nursery and commercial grower's products between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. only. Watering is permitted at any time using a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle, a bucket, or when a drip/micro-irrigation system/equipment is used. Irrigation of nursery propagation beds is permitted at any time. Water for livestock is permitted at any time.
5. Use only a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle or bucket to water landscaped areas, including trees and shrubs located on residential and commercial properties that are not irrigated by a landscape irrigation system.
6. Add water to maintain the level of water in swimming pools and spas only when necessary (to ensure proper operation of the pool filter). A pool cover is encouraged, but not required.
7. Use only recirculated water to operate ornamental fountains and for no more than 6 hours a day.
8. Repair all water leaks within 72 hours of notification by the City of Poway, unless other arrangements are made with the City Manager.
9. Do not wash down paved surfaces, including but not limited to sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or patios, except when necessary to alleviate safety or sanitation hazards.
10. Wash vehicles only using a bucket and a hand-held hose with positive shut-off nozzle, mobile high pressure/low volume wash system, or at a commercial site that recirculates (reclaims) water on site. Do not wash vehicles during hot conditions when additional water is required due to evaporation.
11. Offer guests in hotels, motels, and other commercial lodging establishments the option of not laundering towels and linens daily.
12. Serve and refill water in restaurants and other food service establishments only upon request.
13. Do not use single-pass cooling equipment in new commercial applications, including, but not limited to, air conditioners, air compressors, vacuum pumps, and ice machines.
14. Use a water recirculation system for commercial conveyor car washes and all new commercial laundry systems.
15. Run only fully loaded dishwashers and washing machines.
16. Use recycled or non-potable water for construction purposes to the fullest extent possible when available (Ordinance 682 Section 1, 2008).

 State mandatory restrictions prohibit all Californians from the following:

• Use of potable water is prohibited for the irrigation of non-functional turf at commercial, industrial and institutional sites. However, the use of potable water is not prohibited to the extent necessary to ensure the health of trees and other perennial non-turf plantings, or for health and safety need.
• Use of potable water to wash sidewalks and driveways, except for health and safety reasons;
• Allowing runoff when watering with potable water;
• Use of hoses with no shutoff nozzles to wash cars;
• Use of potable water in decorative water features that do not recirculate the water;
• Watering outdoors during and within 48 hours following measurable rainfall.