California adopts new regulation for Making Conservation a California Way of Life

California recently adopted a new rule to conserve water for the long term. This regulation establishes a water use budget for Roseville's entire service area. The budget includes:

• How much water a person uses indoors each day
• How much water residents and commercial, industrial and institutional customers use outside
• How much water is lost through leaks

Roseville must cut water use by about 10 percent by 2030, and water savings will need to continue over time. The city will continue supporting customers with water-wise rebates, infrastructure improvements, outdoor watering guidelines, turf replacement programs, and more.

"Our customers have risen to the occasion over the past decade. With education, rebates, and our commitment to encouraging water use efficiency, we hope to reach this community-wide target," said Bobby Alvarez, Water Conservation Administrator with Environmental Utilities. "Our customers have done a great job reducing water use over the many droughts we have experienced in recent years, and we are confident that together, we will meet these new water use targets."

Since 2013, Roseville's population has grown by 25 percent, yet water use dropped by 17 percent. Additionally, our team has saved more than seven million gallons annually by inspecting and fixing leaks in 60 miles of pipes yearly, installing industry-standard water meters to monitor hourly water use, conducting 1,000 yearly Water Wise House calls, and boosting rebates for water-saving items like toilet replacements and turf removal.

Moving forward, Roseville will:

• Work with our parks division and businesses to remove and replace non-functional grass with water-wise landscaping.
• Improve our water meter capability and improve alerts to help customers save water.
• Expand our commercial landscape water budget program and hire more staff to help with reporting and customer engagement.
• Monitor businesses like car washes and cooling towers to ensure they use water efficiently and recycle where possible.

"Roseville has developed muscle memory for saving water and made changes that include sustainable water savings-like turf conversions, landscape retrofits, and leak control. While this state mandate will require some work and habit changes, our goal is to work with city departments and customers to find ways to squeeze more savings where possible," Bobby added.

For more information, rebates, and other program offerings, visit Roseville.ca.us/savewater.