LATHROP – California is facing a water emergency. 

That’s not new information – California Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought back in January, and the situation has been worsening ever since. 

And in response, and after issuing new water restrictions that will both meet the state’s tightening restrictions and the mandatory 20 percent surface water usage reduction being imposed by the South San Joaquin Irrigation District, the City of Lathrop has issued refined guidelines watering guidelines for residents and businesses.

Here are the restrictions that are being imposed on all customers living within the city limits:

• Watering between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. is prohibited. Addresses ending in odd numbers will water on Wednesday and Sunday before 10 a.m. and after 7 p.m., and addresses ending in odd numbers will water on Tuesday and Saturday before 10 a.m. and after 7 p.m. Commercial and industrial customers shall water on Tuesday and Friday before 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. No watering shall commence on Mondays or Thursdays. 

• Any watering that leads to runoff – water that flows onto adjacent properties, sidewalks, gutters, streets, parking lots or structures – is prohibited. 

• Handheld trigger shutoff devices are required for all garden hoses. Watering devices that can be left running are prohibited. 

• Washing of building exteriors, driveways or sidewalks is prohibited except in the case of spillage of a substance that could be detrimental to the public health. 

• All controllable water leaks – including those at the connection between water sources and hoses – must be controlled. 

• Watering landscapes during high winds that causes the water to be blown away from the area being watered is prohibited. 

• All ornamental fountains except those that utilize water-recycling equipment must be turned off. 

Those found to be in violation of the restrictions, which will be investigated by the City of Lathrop’s code enforcement division on a complaint basis, will be eligible for fines based on the table outlined in the municipal code. The tightened restrictions are the second step in the city’s plan for water conservation this year – the first time that more restrictive measures have been taken in an attempt to curtail both wasted water and meet the SSJID curtailment. 

Additional information can be found by visiting www.ci.lathrop.ca.us. A limited number of water conservation kits are available through the city’s public works department, and can be obtained by calling 209.941.7430.