Stage 3 Water Restrictions- effective 06/25/24

No person shall waste water. Water customers are requested to practice water conservation and minimize or stop all nonessential water use.

LANDSCAPING AND YARDS

• Water customers shall comply with mandatory limits of landscaping.
  • Watering days will be based on the last digit of the address:
    • 0&1 Monday 
    • 2&3 Tuesday 
    • 4&5 Wednesday 
    • 6&7 Thursday 
    • 8&9 Friday 
  • If there is no street address or if the property has more than one address with a continuous lot, irrigation day is on Wednesday.
• Landscape irrigation using a soaker hose, hose-end sprinkler or in-ground sprinkler system, is allowed once every week beginning on the second Monday after Stage 3 has been declared, AND only on the designated watering day as determined by address during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Landscape irrigation with a drip irrigation system or five (5) gallon bucket is allowed on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during the Stage 3 hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. 
• Sprinkler system maintenance and testing is prohibited except on designated watering days between the hours 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. and between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
• Landscape irrigation with a handheld hose is allowed at any time on any day. AN UNATTENDED HANDHELD HOSE WILL BE CONSIDERED SAME AS SPRINKLERS.
• Athletic fields: Public or private owners of an athletic field must comply with the provisions of this plan unless an administrative waiver has been approved by the City Manager. 
• No person may allow irrigation runoff to escape from their land.

SWIMMING POOLS AND OUTDOOR WATER FEATURES

• All nonpublic swimming pools must have a minimum of 25% of the surface area covered with evaporation screens when not in use. Inflatable pool toys or floating decorations may be used.
• All auto fill features shall be turned off.
• Groundwater may be used to replenish swimming pools to maintenance level. Draining of swimming pools is permitted only onto a pervious surface or onto a pool deck where water is transmitted directly to a pervious surface, only if: 
  1. Draining excess water from the pool due to rain to lower the water to the maintenance level
  2. Repairing, maintaining or replacing a pool component that has become hazardous; or 
  3. Repairing a pool leak. Refilling of swimming pools permitted only if the pool has been drained for repairs, maintenance or replacement set out in items 2 or 3 above.
• No person may use groundwater for an ornamental outdoor fountain or similar feature.

VEHICLE AND IMPERVIOUS COVER WASHING

• No person may use water to wash an impervious outdoor ground covering such as a parking lot, driveway, street, or sidewalk unless for health or safety reasons.
• Residential car washing and mobile equipment (e.g. washing vehicles at a residence) is permitted only on Saturday and Sunday with a pressure washer, handheld hose equipped with an automatic shut off nozzle or bucket of five (5) gallons or less, without waste. Fleet managers are encouraged to only wash those vehicles as is necessary for health and safety. 
• Charity car washes are prohibited except at a commercial car wash that recycles as least 75% of the water it uses or that is certified as a conservation car wash.

RESTAURANTS

• Restaurants and other eating establishments are prohibited from serving water to customers except upon request of the customer.

FIRE HYDRANTS

• Use of water from hydrants shall be limited to firefighting, related activities, or other activities necessary to maintain public health, safety, and welfare, except that use of water from designated fire hydrants for construction purposes may be allowed under special permit from the City of Universal City.

Penalties 

Any person who violates this Plan is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, the person shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred fifty dollars ($550.00) and not more than seven-hundred dollars ($700.00) during Stage 3. 

Termination of Stage 3

Stage 3 of the Plan may be rescinded when the Edwards Aquifer Index Well, J-17, maintains a level 640 ft.-msl for fifteen (15) consecutive days. Upon termination of Stage 3, Stage 2 becomes operative.