News Release - Feb. 16

Outdoor Irrigation Prohibition Lifted, Watering Now Allowed Up to Twice a Week

Corte Madera -- The Marin Water Board of Directors lifted its prohibition on outdoor irrigation on Tuesday and approved to allow customers to utilize sprinklers or drip irrigation for yard care up to two times a week prior to 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m. All other water-use restrictions, such as swimming pool filling and at-home car washing, currently remain in effect, as does the prohibition on any landscape installations for new customer water connections.

As customers decide to turn their irrigation systems back on and initiate any plantings, the district encourages these households to refer to the district’s WaterSmart Gardening Resources Library at marinwater.org/WaterSmartGardening. This new online information hub centralizes curated, expert guidance on irrigation, plant selection, fire-safe landscape design and more, so customers may conveniently explore ways to maximize water savings and utilize best practices in their garden and landscape projects. Information on the district’s ongoing incentives programs, such as cash for grass and rebates for WaterSense irrigation controllers, can also be found there.

“Our community has done remarkable work to save water during the drought emergency, and we want to keep that momentum going as outdoor irrigation is allowed to resume,” said President Larry Russell. “Some of the most impactful ways to reduce water waste can be achieved outside, and we invite customers to lean on the district’s resources for extra help with water-conscious planning and maintenance of home landscape and garden projects.”

The irrigation prohibition was approved in October and went into effect Dec. 1, 2021, along with several other water-use limits and restrictions. The mandate came after historic drought conditions last summer caused the district to take drastic measures to respond to critically low water supply levels and an imminent water shortage. Then, record rainfall in October and December restocked local reservoirs to near-full capacity. The board has taken incremental steps to ease some of the drought emergency water limits and restrictions since that time – first removing indoor household water-use limits and associated penalties in January and now addressing the outdoor irrigation restriction originally scheduled to remain in effect through May 2022.  The board may consider lifting additional drought emergency restrictions in an upcoming meeting, though a date for this discussion has not yet been set.

With the district’s water supply adequately replenished from early winter rainfall, the district has begun to refocus efforts to long-term drought resiliency planning. This includes the board’s action earlier this month, to approve implementation of a five-month strategic assessment of various water supply projects that will supplement community needs in times of future water shortages. 

For more drought information, reservoir data, and water supply updates, visit marinwater.org.