Marin Enacts Additional Water Restrictions

MARIN COUNTY, CA — The Marin Municipal Water District moved Tuesday night to push back against a historic drought.

The district’s board voted unanimously to enact additional restrictions just two weeks after passing a tough water-use ordinance at its previous April 20 meeting.

Tuesday’s measure limits spray irrigation to two days per week, drip irrigation to three days per week, and requires pool covers.

The district covers most of southern and central Marin and serves well over 80 percent of the county's population.

The measures aim to reduce water consumption by 40 percent.

The restrictions enacted last month ban washing vehicles at home, power washing homes and businesses, and flooding gutters, watering grass on public medians and using potable water for dust control.

Other restrictions include sewer flushing and street cleaning.

Additional provisions of the ordinance restricting golf courses to watering tees and greens won't go into effect until May 20.

The restrictions went into effect at the time they were enacted but weren't subject to enforcement until Saturday.

A full list of MMWD’s water restrictions appears below.

The measures follow two consecutive dry winters and come less than four years after that state endured an extended drought from 2013-2017.

With only 20 inches of rainfall last year, 2020 marked the second-driest year in 90 years.

The district declared a drought in mid-February and launched a public awareness campaign asking customers to conserve water by voluntarily cutting back on irrigation, not washing vehicles, and conserving water indoors.

Persistent warm, dry weather lowered Marin Water's reservoir storage capacity to 52 percent—the lowest level in nearly 40 years.

Storage levels for this time of year are typically more than 90 percent.

Water Use Restrictions

• Limit spray irrigation to no more than two days per week.
• Limit drip irrigation to no more than three days per week.
• Covers are required for all pools and spas to reduce evaporation.
• Do not wash vehicles at home. If you need to wash it, use a carwash that recycles water.
• No power washing homes or businesses.
• Do not wash driveways or sidewalks.
• Do not water outdoors between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
• Do not waste water. Flooding gutters is prohibited.
• Leaks must be fixed within 48 hours of being discovered.
• Garden hoses must have a shutoff nozzle.
• Beginning May 20, golf course irrigation is restricted to greens and tees.
• No watering grass on public medians.
• No using potable water for dust control, sewer flushing or street cleaning.
• No refilling or topping off decorative fountains.

(Source: Marin Municipal Water District)