Get a drought update and tips to help you conserve, plus rebates and freebies to make it easy!
Where We Are After Three (Really) Dry Years California is experiencing drought following three critically dry years – locally and statewide. Wise investments in local storage at Los Vaqueros Reservoir and our customers' strong conservation ethic are helping us through this drought. However, we all must look for ways to conserve now. Los Vaqueros Reservoir is currently at 98,000 acre feet or 61% of full capacity.
Photo by Max Trescott, Aviation News Talk podcast
What We’re Asking CCWD’s Board adopted a new drought management program and is now asking customers to mandatorily reduce water use by up to 15% from 2020 water use.
CCWD is also considering a drought surcharge to cover the costs from the drought impact – visit our Drought & Water Efficiency Resource Center at ccwater.com/drought for more information about our drought program. Check with your municipal water provider for specific drought program details. See resources below to help you continue using water wisely!
Steps You Can Take to Conserve Water During the Drought
Schedule a Water Wise House Call (no cost to customer) Receive a free Water Wise House Call for your home. Included is a comprehensive evaluation of your water use, water-saving recommendations, and a site-specific landscape watering schedule. Sign up online for a Water Wise House Call or call 925-688-8320 to schedule an appointment.
Check Your Irrigation System for Leaks
We recommend that all CCWD customers who irrigate their landscaping check their irrigation systems at least once a year, typically in the spring before turning on their irrigation controller for the season. It is a great practice to check for and fix any leaks, mis-directed spray nozzles, broken sprinkler heads, and other faulty system components. We even have a DIY maintenance walkthrough checklist to help you evaluate your irrigation system. See our DIY Irrigation System Check (PDF) and check your irrigation system this year. Check out our Irrigation Systems webpage for additional irrigation tips and links.
Watch this video: Spruce Up Your Sprinkler System in Four Easy Steps
from US EPA WaterSense
Reprogram Your Irrigation Controller to Water Efficiently Did you know that most people overirrigate their landscaping? In fact, nearly 50% of water used in residential landscapes is wasted or unnecessary. Use CCWD’s Lawn and Landscape Watering Schedule to get your controller programming dialed in so you can save water. The schedule also provides some watering best practices and recommendations and is scientifically based off Contra Costa County’s local climate. View our Lawn & Landscape Water Schedule (PDF) for recommendations and set a date with your controller and start watering like a pro!
Replace Your Lawn with Drought-Tolerant Plants If you plan on removing your lawn, CCWD offers its customers a rebate of up to $1,000 to replace existing front lawn with water-wise landscaping. If you are interested in seeing how beautiful water-wise gardens can be, get inspired by the interactive images on our Garden Galleries webpage. Learn more about CCWD’s Lawn to Garden Rebate program.
Fun fact: Did you know that CCWD applies for and is now receiving grant funding that covers nearly 50% of the rebate amounts our customers receive? Our customers always come first.
Check Out CCWD’s Rebate Programs and Coupons Contra Costa Water District offers a variety of rebates and coupons to help you save water. Learn more about our:
Car Wash Coupons - Support local car washes that recycle their wash water using cool on-site filtration systems!
Mulch Coupons - Show your yard, plants, and trees some love by insulating them and reducing evaporation with mulch!
Free Home Energy & Water Efficiency Kits Looking for ways to save money and make your home more sustainable? Good news, the Rising Sun Center for Opportunity has partnered with the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) to bring energy and water efficiency kits straight to your home. The free kits are available to all Contra Costa Water District residential customers. These kits are delivered to your home free of charge through a program called Green House Calls. This year, the program is going contact-free in Contra Costa County. This virtual kit service makes it even easier to sign up and start saving!
This kit will include:
LED light bulbs, standard and floodlight
A smart power strip
High-efficiency bathroom and kitchen faucet aerators
High-efficiency showerheads(s)
Toilet leak detection tablets
These kits are available to both renters and homeowners and have no income qualifications. What are you waiting for? Register for Green House Calls by completing this 10-minute survey to determine your personalized efficiency needs, and a kit will be mailed directly to your door.
Upcoming Events
Local organizations we support are offering several water efficient landscape focused events throughout May and June. Check out upcoming events on our Water Conservation Calendar.
Water-Wise Landscaping Webinars
Did you miss any of our webinars this past year? Watch our recorded webinars when it’s convenient for you – check out our full library of Water Efficiency Webinars.
