Drought restrictions lifted for many North County residents

Vallecitos Water District will rescind its mandatory drought restrictions effective June 10, district officials said this week.

By moving from a “drought alert” to the lower level of “drought watch,” the district will allow its customers to irrigate any day of the week, with no limit on the number of watering days.

The district serves about 105,000 people in a 45-square-mile area that includes San Marcos, the community of Lake San Marcos, and parts of Carlsbad, Escondido, Vista and some unincorporated areas of the county.

Other local water districts are expected to take similar actions in the weeks ahead, as the state dries out from one of its wettest winters in years. Snow melt in the Sierra should continue to feed reservoirs well into the summer.

Metropolitan Water District, the wholesaler that supplies water to 19 million people in Southern California, ended mandatory restrictions in March.

Restrictions that remain in place in most of San Diego County are: irrigate only after 6 p.m. and before 10 a.m.; don’t irrigate within 48 hours after rain; don’t hose down hardscapes such as patios and sidewalks; use a shut-off nozzle when washing cars; and fix leaks within 48 hours of discovery.

Restaurants are advised to serve water only upon request, and hotels will provide the option of not laundering linens and towels daily. Also, many districts are switching from potable to recycled water for landscaping and industrial uses.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in March he was easing water restrictions because the unusually heavy rain and snow have lessened the likelihood of severe drought.

Despite that, Newsom urged Californians to continue water conservation as “a way of life.”

Most of the western United States has been in an extended drought for about 20 years, and it’s unlikely that a single wet year will change that.

Ecosystems such as mountain forests, where dead trees dot the landscape, will need years of average or better rainfall to recover.