Water Conservation Program

Did you know….leaks, even small ones, can significantly increase your water bill? Routinely checking your faucets, toilets, and appliances for leaks saves water and money. Checking your outdoor irrigation system for leaks and overspray also goes a long way in saving water.

For leaks that are harder to spot, checking your water meter can help troubleshoot potential leaks you can’t see.

Please watch the following video tutorial on How to Read Your Water Meter:

You can also click this link for more info: Learn how to read your meter

 For additional water efficiency information, visit www.bewaterwise.com.

City of San Clemente No Longer in Level 2 Water Alert

On April 18, 2023, the City Council adopted a resolution rescinding the previous June 7, 2022 resolution declaring a Level 2 Water Alert. Thank you to our customers for helping us get through this historic drought!

It is important to note that permanent water waste restrictions are still in effect, as per the City's Water Conservation Ordinance and Municipal Code. Please remember to use water wisely, before the next drought begins!  

San Clemente Water Supply Reliability Self-Certification

In May 2016, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted new drought regulations and asked water agencies to set their own conservation standards based on local supplies. 

This section contains information regarding the City of San Clemente's Self-Certification of Supply Reliability for three additional years of drought, including underlying analysis and supporting documents pursuant to the SWRCB regulations.

Click here for the City of San Clemente's self-certification documents filed with the SWRCB.

Reminder: Water is a precious resource that comes from many limited sources near and far, and it is important that we all conserve, use water efficiently, and avoid waste to preserve our water supply for the future.

Related Links:

Water and Sewer Rates

Supporting Documentation & Historical Data

There are several ways you can conserve water inside your home. Regularly checking your faucets, toilets, showers, and appliances for leaks saves water.  Taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet as you brush your teeth, and washing only full loads in your clothes washer and dishwasher also helps you save water.

Top 10 Ways to Use Water Wisely

DIY Indoor Water Audit   Provided by CUWCC

Calculate your approximate household water use and explore water saving tips at:  https://home-water-works.org 

For additional self-help indoor water efficiency videos, visit: https://www.cuwcc.org/Resources/Video-Library

Overirrigating is Out!  Check out our new Watering Guide and Watering Calculator or download our One-Page Suggested Watering Schedule Reference Sheet.

Planning a water-wise landscaping project? Watch the following video for some helpful tips.

For landscapes larger than 1 acre, find out how to schedule your free irrigation audit here!

Prevent Irrigation Runoff

Overwatering is out! Poorly managed irrigation systems can contribute to ocean pollution, and in fact, irrigation runoff is prohibited by the Regional Water Quality Control Board as well as the City's Municipal Code.

Water your plants, not your pavement, with these simple steps:

1) Take a few minutes to run your irrigation system on manual and observe each of the stations. 

• Check for broken valves or spray heads that waste valuable water,
• Watch to see if any stations - in particular, those watering turfgrass - are reaching their "time to runoff,"  which means your run time for that zone is too long. 
• Confirm that all sprinklers that are spraying the appropriate height and distance so that water is landing on plants, not on the sidewalk or driveway. 
• Also make sure that the "arc" of each sprinkler is set appropriately to match your landscape layout. A sprinkler in the corner of your yard should not be spraying more than 90 degrees of its 360 degree capability.

2) Make adjustments as necessary or ask the City or an Irrigation Professional for help.

• Tighten or replace leaky valves and replace broken heads.
• Adjust sprinkler heads that are either spraying too high, or too wide of an arc (YouTube and Google have lots of instructional videos specific to your brand of irrigation parts!)
• Make sure each section of your landscape is only being watered once in your program, but also consider splitting up long run times into multiple shorter run times 1-2 hours apart, to allow landscapes with short times-to-runoff to "cycle and soak."
• Reprogram your sprinkler timer or consider a rebate-eligible Weather-Based Irrigation Controller

Remember, runoff from irrigation entering the storm drain system is not treated and can carry pollution such as heavy metals, pathogens, oil and grease to our local waterways. These are considered illegal discharges and can be prevented by following pollution prevention tips at www.h2oc.org. See what actions your neighbors are taking and sign up for the Over Watering is Out Challenge to inspire others to prevent pollution from entering Orange County waterways.