Water conservation has always been a way of life in Southern California. Recent drought conditions and water supply reductions from Northern California have increased the need for additional conservation efforts. Due to Ramona's remote location and elevation, the community's primary water supply has to be pumped up over 1,000 feet from Poway to Ramona, making every drop a precious commodity. The Ramona Municipal Water District (RMWD) encourages using water wisely through public education and environmental awareness. Several conservation programs or conservation methods might be of interest to you.

RMWD Drought Information

Press Release Issued June 10, 2022

On March 28, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-7-22 to address California’s ongoing drought, directing the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to take further actions to increase water conservation efforts.  The governor’s action was in response to statewide drought conditions and historically low rainfall and snowfall levels that have caused water levels in state water reservoirs to remain well below average.

In response to the governor’s call to action, SWRCB on May 24, 2022, adopted a statewide emergency regulation. The new regulation requires urban water suppliers such as Ramona Municipal Water District (RMWD) to implement Level 2 demand reduction measures from their water shortage contingency plans, regardless of local water supply conditions. The order also bans irrigation of non-functional grass at commercial, industrial and institutional properties, and in homeowner’s association common areas. The ban does not apply to residential lawns, community spaces or sports fields. RMWD is currently at a Level 1 Water Shortage Watch with voluntary water conservation measures.

To meet state regulatory requirements and respond to statewide drought conditions, RMWD asks residents and businesses to take the following actions to save even more water. Please check your bill for your water use in units or gallons per day. One “unit” equals 748 gallons of water/ These actions go into effect on June 10, 2022. 

•  Limit outdoor watering at homes and businesses to two days per week, except for commercial growers, nurseries and those using recycled water like golf courses, parks, or open space.

• Limit irrigation systems to no more than 10 minutes per station unless using landscape irrigation systems with water efficient devices, including but not limited to: weather based controllers, drip/micro-irrigation systems and stream rotor sprinklers. There are no watering schedules based on even or odd-numbered addresses

• For businesses and institutions (schools, government property), stop irrigating turf that uses potable water, unless needed for health and safety reasons or to keep trees healthy. It’s still OK to irrigate parks, school fields and sports fields using the measures above. 
• Water residential and commercial landscape before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. only to reduce water loss due to evaporation, unless using a drip or micro-irrigation system.
• Stop water waste from inefficient landscape irrigation, such as runoff, overspray and misdirected sprinklers. 
• Turn off irrigation during and 48 hours after rain. 

• Don’t wash down hard surfaces, such as driveways, patios, sidewalks and parking lots with a hose, unless necessary for safety or sanitation. If washing is necessary, divert wash water to landscaping, or capture water with a shop vacuum, to prevent water from running off to the street or storm drain. 
• If washing a vehicle at home, use a bucket and hose equipped with a shutoff nozzle. 

In addition, restaurants should only serve water to customers upon request and hotels and motels should offer their guests the option to not have their linens and towels laundered daily, and prominently display this option in each guest room.

Take the opportunity to reduce your water use by taking advantage of rebate opportunities.

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Acrobat Reader Windows Media Player Word Viewer Excel Viewer PowerPoint Viewer