Simi Valley reduces outdoor water use again to 10 minutes once a week

Mandated by the Metropolitan Water District amid California's drought, Simi Valley is further restricting outdoor water use from 15 minutes once a week to 10 minutes.

And it may have to eliminate all outdoor watering at some point, according to a city report. The MWD might require it to do so if it determines such a ban is necessary, the report said.

"The advice has been, 'You better be ready to immediately enact zero-days-a-week,'" Joe Deakin, the city's assistant public works director, said at Monday night's City Council meeting.

Effective June 1, outdoor watering in the city was limited to 15 minutes once a week. 

The council this week reduced that to 10 minutes once a week effective immediately.

Residents with even-numbered addresses can water on Sundays, while those with odd-numbered addresses can water on Saturdays. Watering is limited to before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m.

Violators can be fined up to $500 with the possible installation of a flow restrictor.

How to: Ventura County's city-by-city guide to water-use restrictions amid California drought

The city's initial 15-minute-a-week restriction came after the MWD board and the Calleguas Municipal Water District board in April declared a water shortage emergency.

Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8, whose board of directors is the Simi Valley City Council, contracts with Calleguas to deliver water imported by Metropolitan from the State Water Project. The city in turn sells the water to about two-thirds of its households.

MWD on June 14 notified cities dependent upon the water project that they now must reduce customers' outdoor watering to 10 minutes a week.

Simi Valley's restrictions only apply to the customers it sells water to.

Restrictions: Simi Valley limits outdoor watering to once a week amid severe drought

Golden State Water Co. supplies water to the remaining one-third of the households. 

Golden State customers' outdoor watering is limited to once a week before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. Residents with even-numbered addresses can water on Sundays, and those with odd-numbered addresses can water on Saturdays. 

Golden State representatives did not immediately respond to an inquiry Wednesday as to whether it too will limit outdoor watering to 10 minutes one day a week,

Oxnard also has restricted water usage to 10 minutes once a week. So has the Camrosa Water District, which services parts of Camarillo.

For more information, go to simivalley.org/waterconservation, gswater.com and camrosa.com/drought. 

Mike Harris covers the East County cities of Moorpark, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, as well as transportation countywide. You can contact him at mike.harris@vcstar.com or 805-437-0323.

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