Water Shortage Contingency Plan

In accordance with Water Code 10632 requirements, EMWD is responsible for conserving the available water supply, protecting the integrity of water supply facilities, and implementing a contingency plan in times of drought, supply reductions, failure of water distribution systems, or emergencies.

Therefore, EMWD adopted the Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) to regulate the delivery and consumption of water use during water shortages. EMWD’s Board of Directors has the authority to initiate or terminate the water shortage contingency measures described in the WSCP.

To view the WSCP in its entirety, please see Title 5, Article 10 of the EMWD Administrative Code.

EMWD will implement an appropriate stage based on current water conditions such as:

• EMWD water supply conditions and storage levels
• Statewide water supply conditions
• Local water supply and demand conditions
• The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) Water Supply Allocation Plan implementation or other actions requiring a reduction in water demand
• Actions by surrounding agencies

Higher stages will be implemented as shortages continue and/or if customer response does not bring about desired water savings. Restrictions, penalties and enforcement will build on each other as higher stages are implemented.

Stage 1: Supply Watch

Voluntary reduction of up to 10 percent encouraged through the on-going enforcement of water use efficiency requirements, EMWD’s water budget-based tiered rates, and penalties for run off.

Stage 2: Supply Alert 

Voluntary reduction of up to 25 percent encouraged through the on-going enforcement of water use efficiency requirements, EMWD’s water budget-based tiered rates, and penalties for run off. Required customer actions include:

1. Reduce watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape or other vegetated areas with sprinklers by one day a week.
2. All leaks, breaks, or other malfunctions in the water user’s plumbing or distribution system repaired within seventy-two hours.
3. Refrain from filling or re-filling of ornamental lakes or ponds.
4. Refrain from using potable water to wash or clean a vehicle, including but not limited to, any automobile, truck, van, bus, motorcycle, boat or trailer, whether motorized or not.

Stage 3: Mandatory Waste Reduction – EMWD is currently in Stage 3a

Mandatory reduction of excessive water use enforced through changes to EMWD’s water budget-based tiered rate structure and observation-based penalties for violations of the water use efficiency requirements.

Changes to the tiered rate structure will be set according to one of the following levels:

1. Stage 3a: No variances or adjustments will be allowed for filling swimming pools, establishing new landscapes or leaks that are not repaired within 48 hours.
2. Stage 3b: Tier 3 (Excessive) use water budgets will be decreased by 50 percent.
3. Stage 3c: Tier 3 (Excessive) use water budgets are eliminated.

Stage 4: Mandatory Outdoor Reduction

Mandatory reduction of outdoor water use enforced through changes to EMWD’s water-budget based tiered rate structure and observation-based penalties will be increased for violations of the water use efficiency requirements. In addition, watering or irrigating of lawn, landscape, or other vegetated areas with sprinklers should be limited to the following schedule:

• June through August – A maximum of two days a week
• September through May – A maximum of one day a week

Changes to the tiered rate structure will be set according to one of the following levels:

1. Stage 4a: Tier 2 (Outdoor Use) water budgets will be decreased by 10 percent.
2. Stage 4b: Tier 2 (Outdoor Use) water budgets will be decreased up to 50 percent.
3. Stage 4c: Tier 2 (Outdoor Use) water budgets will be decreased up to 100 percent.

Stage 5: Mandatory Indoor Reduction

This stage would only be implemented in response to a catastrophic loss of supplies requiring a 50 percent or more reduction in total demand.

Mandatory reduction of indoor water use enforced though changes to EMWD’s water budget based tiered rate structure and increased penalties for run off, as described by EMWD’s water use efficiency requirements.

Changes to the tiered rate structure will be set according to one of the following levels:

1. Stage 5a: Tier 1 (Indoor Use) water budgets will be decreased by 10 percent.
2. Stage 5b: Tier 1 (Indoor Use) water budgets will be decreased by 30 percent.
3. Stage 5c: Tier 1 (Indoor Use) water budgets will be decreased by 50 percent.

Commercial, Industrial, Institutional, Agricultural customers and any other customer without a water budget will be given a water budget based on historical water use. Allocations will be decreased according to the percentages listed in stages 5a-5c, and the current Tier 4 rate will be applied to any use above the decreased allocation.