This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

SAN MARCOS, Calif. — The Vallecitos Water District Board of Directors has voted to rescind mandatory drought restrictions Monday, loosening conservation measures for North County residents.

Effective June 10, the water district will be moving from “Level 2 – Drought Alert” to “Level 1 – Drought Watch,” district officials announced Monday.

Drought conditions under the water authority’s Level 2 imposes mandatory restrictions on water-use, specifically limits on outdoor watering. Level 1, on the other hand, institutes voluntary conservation measures that “reflects the ongoing concern about the Colorado River,” according to the district.

Under the new guidelines, Vallecitos customers are able to irrigate outdoor spaces any day of the week, with no limit on the number of watering days.

However, there are still some restrictions for water usage that are always in effect, including:

  • Irrigating between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
  • Irrigating within 48 hours of a measurable rain event.
  • Visible signs of runoff when irrigating spaces.
  • Hosing down hardscapes, such as patios, driveways and sidewalks.
  • Not using a shut-off nozzle when washing cars.
  • Not fixing leaks within 48 hours of discovery.

Commercial customers must also comply with additional restrictions, the Vallecitos Water District said. Restaurants are still required to only serve water on request, while hotels are obligated to provide the option of not laundering linens and towels daily.

More about the different drought response levels at the Vallecitos Water District can be found here.

The Vallecitos Water District is an independent utility authority serving about 105,000 customers in San Marcos, as well as portions of Carlsbad, Escondido, Vista and other surrounding unincorporated areas.

Drought conditions across San Diego County significantly subsided from last year amid the winter’s storms. As of June 1, almost all of the county is no longer considered in a drought by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Only a sliver of eastern San Diego County, near the Salton Sea, remains “abnormally dry” — the Monitor’s least severe designation.