Winter Storms Bring Near-Term Drought Relief to the State

A drip feed irrigation watering a plant

Following three years of record dry conditions, recent storms brought record precipitation to California this winter, helping to dramatically boost water supplies available via the State Water Project -a major source of water for the region. Sidney Jackson, General Manager of Water and Power, reports that while these storms helped relieve near-term drought impacts, many groundwater basins throughout the State have been severely depleted and the Colorado River -another major source of water supply for our region -remains challenged with reservoir levels at historic lows. Based on these evolving conditions, on Friday, March 24, 2023, Governor Newsom eased some drought restrictions, while maintaining others to support impacted communities across the State.

Pasadena acted early to respond to the drought and adopted a Level 2 Water Supply Shortage Plan in August 2021. The Pasadena community continues to step up and has since saved over 2 billion gallons of water and counting. Under the current Level 2 Plan, outdoor watering days will be adjusted to two days per week starting April 1, 2023. Even-numbered addresses may water on Mondays and Thursdays, and odd-numbered addresses may water on Tuesdays and Fridays. All outdoor watering must take place before 9:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. to comply with Pasadena Municipal Code 13 .10. Pasadena Water and Power ("PWP") reminds customers to turn off all irrigation during and after periods of rain.
PWP continues to evaluate changing conditions for potential future recommendations to adjust actions as conditions allow.

With the spring planting season on the horizon, PWP encourages customers to convert turf to drought-tolerant landscaping while rebates and incentives are available. Drought-tolerant landscapes are more resilient during periods of drought and higher summer temperatures.

To learn more about the water schedule updates, conservation programs, landscape design guides, rebates, and water efficiency tips, visit PWPweb.corn/SaveWater.