Drought Updates

Alhambra water supplies remain stable despite drought conditions in California.

On March 28, 2022, following the three driest months of a year on record, the Governor called on all water agencies to move to Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans and take conservation actions to reduce water-use by all domestic water customers. Read the Governor's Executive Order N-7-22 here.

Steps outlined in the Water Shortage Contingency Plan can be used during drought years to comply with state water-use restrictions even if there is no shortage in water supplies.

Water Conservation Actions - Effective June 10, 2022 

The Alhambra City Council approved an emergency ordinance and a resolution during the City Council Meeting on May 23 to adopt several actions from the City’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan.

This action requires the City to implement mandatory conservation of our Water Shortage Plan, AMC 15.25.090 as follows: 

(A) No customer of the Water Division shall use or allow the use of water from the city to hose or wash sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking areas to other paved surfaces.

(B) No customer of the Water Division shall use or allow the use of water from the city to fill or maintain levels in decorative fountains, ponds, lakes, and similar structures unless such structure is equipped with a water recycling system.

(C) No restaurant, hotel, café, or cafeteria, or other public place where food is sold, served, or offered for sale shall serve drinking water from the department unless at the request of its customers.

(D) No customer of the Water Division shall allow water from the city to leak from any facility on his premises or on premises under his control or fail to effect a timely repair of any such leak.

(E) No customer of the Water Division shall cause or allow the use of water from the city to run off any landscape areas into adjoining streets, side-walks, parking lots or alleys due to incorrectly directed or maintained sprinklers or excessive watering.

(F) No customer of the Water Division shall use a hose to wash cars, boats, trailers, buses or other vehicles, or to wash building exteriors or other hard-surfaced areas without an operating shut-off valve;

(G) No customer of the Water Division shall use or allow the use of water from the City Water Division for landscape watering more often than every three days.

(H) No customer of the Water Division shall use or allow the use of water for landscape watering between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

(I) No customer of the Water Division shall use or allow the use of water from the city to refill a swimming pool, spa or hot tub emptied after the commencement of a water shortage period.

(J) No customer of the Water Division shall irrigate ornamental turf on public street medians.

(K) No customer of the Water Division shall use or allow the use of water from the City Water Division for landscape watering activities within 48 hours after measurable precipitation.

(L) No customer of the Water Division shall irrigate non-functional turf at commercial, industrial, and institutional sites, unless, the use of water is not prohibited by this section to the extent necessary to ensure the health of trees and other perennial non-turf plantings or to the extent necessary to address an immediate health and safety need. Non-functional turf is turf that is solely ornamental and not regularly used for human recreational purposes or for civic or community events. Non-functional turf does not include sports fields and turf that is regularly used for human recreational purposes or for civic or community events.

Staff will work with the City's water customers to educate them regarding mandatory conservation. If they do not comply with the provisions set forth in Chapter 15.25.090, the chapter does allow for staff to impose penalties. 

The effective date of this action will be June 10, 2022 and will be in effect until the State of California finds a water shortage no longer exists. 

Customers who notice situations where water is being wasted on private or City-owned property are urged to call the Utilities Department at 626-570-5061 or email the Water Conservation Division at waterwatcher@cityofalhambra.org.

For water saving tips for homes and businesses, as well as rebates with San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, view our water conservation page.