Perris, CA (January 12, 2022) — The following is a statement from Eastern Municipal Water District Board President Phil Paule regarding the recent water waste regulations adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board:

“Last week, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) adopted emergency regulations addressing wasteful water use practices amidst continuing drought conditions. The regulations prohibit overwatering yards, washing cars without a shutoff nozzle, hosing down sidewalks or watering grass within 48 hours after rainfall.

“Those regulations are already part of EMWD’s permanent water use efficiency requirements which have been in place for more than a decade. In fact, EMWD’s proactive efforts to foster a culture of water use efficiency for our customers has led to a reduction in per capita water use by more than 40 percent over the past two decades.

“Most notably, EMWD was an early adopter of individualized water budget based tiered rates which our customers embraced and more than 80 percent on average stay within their allocated budget. We appreciate their efforts and support in using water efficiently.

“EMWD continues to be on the cutting edge of water use efficiency as we continue to promote the replacement of nonfunctional turf, especially in parkways and medians, through programs like our Turf Replacement Rebate as well as our Accelerated Retrofit Program which removes turf and converts landscapes to recycled water supplies. In addition, EMWD is working to develop additional measures to address nonfunctional turf.

“EMWD is proud to be a forward-thinking agency which has established long-term water efficient measures to preserve local, regional, and Statewide water supply resources for today and tomorrow.”

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Eastern Municipal Water District is the water, wastewater service and recycled water provider to nearly one million people living and working within a 558-square mile service area in western Riverside County. It is California’s sixth-largest retail water agency, and its mission is “To deliver value to our diverse customers and the communities we serve by providing safe, reliable, economical and environmentally sustainable water, wastewater and recycled water services.”
More information can be found at www.emwd.org.