City of Piedmont

Drought Response

California is experiencing a historic drought. The first three months of 2022 were the driest in the state's recorded history. Weather extremes brought on by climate change have reduced the state's water supply. Statewide updates on the drought can be found here: (https://www.drought.gov/states/california).

On April 26, 2022, East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) declared a Stage 2 drought, which mandates a 10% District-wide water use reduction. To ensure the water utility meets the needs of its customers if they dry weather continues, the EBMUD Board approved the following actions:

• Drought surcharge of 8% on water flow beginning July 1, 2022. The surcharge will apply to customers' water use charges, not the entire water bill. 
• Mandatory 10% water use reduction District-wide as compared to 2020 with a plan to review progress toward achieving this goal in November 2022.
• Reinstatement of the Excessive Use Penalty Ordinance. The ordinance sets a threshold of roughly 1,646 gallons of water per day for households. Households who exceed the threshold will receive on warning, and then will face fines of $2 for every 748 gallons of water above the threshold.
• Updated outdoor water restrictions, including limited outdoor watering to 3 times per week, prohibiting washing down sidewalks and driveways, and requiring restaurants and cafes to only provide water upon request, among other provisions. This includes only irrigating before 9am or after 6pm, prohibiting irrigation within 48 hours of measurable rainfall, and no filling decorative fountains that don't recirculate. 

For more information, visit EBMUD's drought page here (https://www.ebmud.com/water/drought/). 

News and Events

Drought News: 

• As Western Drought Worsens, Governor Newsom Moves to Bolster Regional Conservation Efforts (March 28, 2022)
• Governor Newsom Expands Drought Emergency Statewide, Urges Californians to Redouble Water Conservation Efforts (October 19, 2021) 
• A 'Thirsty' Atmosphere is Propelling Northern California's Drought into the Record Books (September 25, 2021)
• As California's Drought Deepens, Water Use Drops Only 1.8% (September 21, 2021)
• As Drought Conditions Deepen, Governor Newsom Calls on Californians to Take Simple Actions to Reduce Water Use (July 8, 2021)
• Governor Newsom Takes Action to Respond to Drought (April 21, 2021)
• Statewide Snowpack Well Below Normal as Wet Season Winds Down (April 1, 2021)

Drought Information:

• California Drought Monitor
• California Water Resources Control Board - Drought Information and Updates
• EBMUD Drought 
• State of California - Drought Action
• State of California Water Resilience - Drought Preparedness
• Save Our Water
• USGS - California Water Science Center

Water Conservation Events:

• Alameda County Clean Water Program - Tap Into the Rain: Make the Most of Rainwater for a Resilient and Beautiful Home (September 23, 2021)
• Alameda County Clean Water Program - Drought Proof Your Garden Webinar (July 8, 2021) 
• Alameda County Clean Water Program - WaterWise Gardening 101 Webinar (May 14, 2021)
• EBMUD - Irrigation Basics Webinar (May 11, 2022)
• EBMUD - The Drought, Part 1: Where We're At and What We're Doing About It Webinar (June 16, 2021)
• EBMUD - The Drought, Part 2: Water You Gonna Do About It? (July 21, 2021)
• City of Piedmont and Piedmont Connect - Living with Drought: By and For Piedmonters Webinar (September 30, 2021)

Water Saving Tips 

Most of Piedmont’s water is used by residential accounts. Here are some actions you can take to conserve water during a drought.

Inside the Home: 

• Track and Manage Your Water Use: EBMUD has a free online tool - My Water Report - to track your water usage, receive notifications of potential leaks and high use, and save money.  

• Make a Water Conservation Appointment: EBMUD offers step-by-step instructions to evaluate your water use, locate leaks, and measure flow rates. Check out the WaterSmart Home Survey Kit here. Once complete, make an appointment with an EBMUD water conservational specialist for a consultation of your water needs.

• Investigate Leaks: Stop leaks from your indoor plumbing and consult EBMUD’s DIY Guide for Leaks and High Bills.

• Update Indoor Fixtures: Inefficient fixtures can cause households to use more water than they need. Check out EBMUD’s free water conservation products including faucets, aerators, showerheads, and hose nozzles. Businesses may request free drought items to encourage their customers to conserve.    

Exterior Landscape: 

• Adjust Your Watering Schedule: If your landscape requires watering, do so early in the morning or later in the evening. In the summer months when days are longer and warmer, plants need more water. By the end of summer, reduce watering as plants needs less water as days shorten and get cooler. 

• Create a Water Wise Garden: Select plants that don't require a lot of water - think native plants, succulents, cacti, low maintenance flowers - and group by moisture requirements. Plants that require more water should live next to one another, effectively creating an irrigation zone. Check out a list of water smart plants here.

• Minimize Non-Organic Fertilizer Use: Use less-toxic methods to control pests and plant disease in your garden. Not only are commonly used pesticides harmful to people and pets, they also pollute our water, air, and soil. Learn more here. 

• Transform Your Lawn to Garden Using Mulch: Consider converting your lawn by sheet mulching. Sheet mulching is an easy process of layering cardboard and mulch on top of grass. Enjoy the benefits of a low-water use, environmentally-friendly garden that thrives year round. Even better, there is no need for using harmful chemicals. EBMUD is currently offering rebates to transform your lawn - up to $2,000 for single family homes and up to $15,000 for commercial and large multi-family properties. Learn more about EBMUD's lawn conversion rebate here.

• Create Healthy Soil Layers Using Compost: Compost is beneficial in many ways - increased plant growth, enhanced soil structure, improve nutrient and water retention and more! Learn about how to make and use compost from StopWaste, Alameda County's public agency reducing waste.

• Assess Your Irrigation System: Consider using a drip irrigation system instead of an overhead sprinkler. Drip irrigation delivers water at or near the ground to effectively reduce water loss. Also consider upgrading to rotary sprinkler heads. Learn more about EBMUD's rebates on irrigation equipment here.

• Invest in Greywater Systems and Rain Cisterns: Use rain barrels or other grey water features to save water and use it for plants. Greywater systems are a way to utilize water multiple times in your home. Greywater is water from indoor sources that is captured and reused. Learn more about EBMUD's greywater rebate here. 

• Report Water Waste: If you observe leaks and wasted water, contact EBMUD. Record your observations here. 

Rebates

Join one of EBMUD's or BayREN’s programs to upgrade taps and reduce water waste.

• Apply to join Water Upgrades $ave, a program run by BayREN. This program helps households save money and invest in water upgrades with little to no up-front cost. The interest form can be found here.
• EBMUD rebates can be found here. Rebates include:
  • $2,000 towards residential lawn conversion
  • $200 towards flow-sensing technologies to monitor your water use and get timely notifications of leaks
  • $125 towards high efficiency clothes washer
  • $50 towards a graywater system 3-way diverter valve 
  • Free high efficiency showerheads
  • And More!

Contact

To learn more about EBMUD, visit their contact page. For questions about Piedmont's response, please contact Sustainability Program Manager, Alyssa Dykman at [email protected] or Parks & Project Manager, Nancy Kent at [email protected].