City of Santa Clara

Despite the winter rains, it's important to remain water-wise. Thank you for working toward reducing Santa Clara's water use by 15%, in line with Valley Water throughout Santa Clara County.

The City of Santa Clara promotes saving water long term:

• Conservation
• Rebates
• Gardening

Whether we are in a drought or not, the City never allows overhead watering with sprinklers or spray heads between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

California AB 1572 prohibits the use of potable drinking water for watering Non-Functional Turf (decorative grass) at Commercial, Industrial, Institutional (CII) and Homeowners' Association properties. Legislation goes into effect statewide January 1:

• 2027 for Government properties
• 2028 for All CII properties
• 2029 for Homeowners' Association properties

AB 1572 does not apply to single-family homes.

Available from Water & Sewer Utilities

Pick up free water-saving devices from the Water & Sewer Utilities Office Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. You can also order directly from Valley Water free of charge for items and shipping. 

Kitchen Aerator Size: 1x1x1" Male-thread aerator Reduces faucet flow to a rate of 1.5 gallons per minute Not WaterSense certified
Bath Aerator Size: 1x1x1" Male-thread aerator Reduces faucet flow to a rate of 1.0 gallons per minute Not WaterSense certified
Showerhead Size: 4x3x2.5" High pressure, high water efficiency Available in white or chrome finish
Toilet Leak Detection Dye Tablets Packet contains two tablets Drop 1 tablet in the toilet tank; leave 1 hour to overnight without flushing. If dye appears in toilet bowl, flapper is leaking.
Toilet Flapper Size: 4.5x3.5x3.5"; includes stainless steel chain Durable, high grade vinyl Fits most plastic flush valves with 2-inch valve openings Easy to install
Garden Hose Nozzle 2.5 gallons per minute (open garden hose uses up to 10x that!) 7 spray settings Automatic shut-off
Moisture Meter Probes up to 6-inch depth Check soil moisture level to prevent over-watering Do not leave in soil; wipe clean and store in dry location
Irrigation Screwdriver 1/8" magnetized flathead screwdriver Protected with vinyl safety tip Adjusts sprinkler spray heads to prevent overspray and runoff
Water-Wise Indoor Survey Kit Easy-to-follow booklet Practical Plumbing Guide Flow measurement bag 2 toilet leak detection dye tablets Current water conservation program information Available in English, Mandarin, Spanish and Vietnamese

Citywide Water Use Restrictions and Prohibitions 

Per Section 1.C of the City’s Potable and Recycled Water System Rules and Regulations, the following are in effect at all times:

Prohibited for All Water Users

• Watering landscape during the day between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. with overhead sprinklers or spray heads
• Runoff: water flowing on City sidewalks, gutters or streets
• Washing any paved surfaced like driveways or sidewalks
• Washing any vehicle using a hose without an automatic shut-off nozzle
• Using fountains or other decorative water features that do not recirculate the water
• Water waste from broken, faulty or leaking plumbing, fire system or irrigation system
• Open faucet, hose bib or spigot
• Outdoor watering during or within 48 hours of rain that can be measured

Prohibited for Businesses, Construction & Restaurants

• Watering decorative grass in commercial, industrial or institutional (CII) areas, including common areas of homeowners' associations (HOAs) 
• Watering decorative grass on public street medians
• Street cleaning or preparing construction sites, if recycled water is available
• Serving water by any restaurant unless requested by a patron
• Installing a single-pass cooling system
• Installing or using a non-recirculating, decorative fountain
• Construction of a non-recirculating conveyor car wash
• Watering landscapes for newly constructed homes and buildings in a way that conflicts with regulations of the California Building Standards Commission and the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Hotels/motels shall provide guests the option of choosing not to have towels and linens laundered daily. Notice of this option shall be displayed prominently in each guestroom.

What the City of Santa Clara is Doing

• Reducing system water loss
• Prohibiting filling of decorative water features (except to sustain aquatic life, which must use recirculating water)
• Requiring water used for construction and dust control be recycled water when available
• Restricting new irrigation connections to recycled water when available
• Restricting irrigation on golf courses to recycled water when available

Questions?

Email water@santaclaraca.gov for more information.

 

Helping Our Urban Trees Help Us

Trees need correct watering to mature into urban cooling powerhouses that capture and store carbon. Deep watering sends roots deep into soil so trees don't send roots to the soil surface. Trees become hardier during dry weather. Deep watering results in less water needed long term.

Solid Foundation for New Trees

• Build a berm. Make a basin with a ridge of soil around it and the tree trunk in the center to keep water where it's needed. 
• Once every two weeks, apply five gallons of water within the berm. Make sure the berm stays intact. 

Keeping Old Trees Strong

Mature trees do best with heavy, slow watering.

• Apply 80 to 100 gallons three times a year during the warm season.
• Place a soaker hose away from the trunk within the tree’s dripline. The dripline extends to the outside edge of the leaf canopy.  

Use your soaker hose's gallon-per-hour rate to calculate how long to water. A 50-foot hose watering ½- to 1-gallon per foot per hour must run for about 2 hours to deliver 50 to 100 gallons. It sounds like a lot, but the total water cost is under $4 per year, much less than replacing a hard-working tree!