The new watering day schedule in Ripon schedule kicked off on Tuesday.

According to the City of Ripon’s Water Conservation ordinance, those properties with an even-numbered address – from March through October – can now do water landscaping on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

All properties within the City of Ripon with odd address can do likewise on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Up until Tuesday, outdoor water was allowed only once a week.

There are some exceptions to the watering days.

This includes no irrigation of ornamental landscapes during and 48 hours following measurable rainfall.

No watering is allowed between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

It is prohibited to use water to wash driveways, sidewalks, patios, parking lots, aprons, and other exterior surfaces except for sanitation, public health & safety, and fire protection purposes.

The city has penalties for those in violation of this ordinance.

The first violation within a one-year period is $50, followed by $100 for a second violation during that same one-year period, and $200 for a third violation in that same one-year span.

Additional violations within the one-year period will be $400.

Usage, according to Director of Public Works James Pease, was down 4.5 percent in January, using the water levels from pre-drought 2013 for the baseline comparison.

He noted in his Feb. 14 Ripon City Council report that the water usage figures from last month was also 5 percent down from last year.

Water usage for 2022 overall, Pease said, was down 16.5 percent from 2013, and 2 percent higher than that of 2021.

For more information, log on to www.cityofripon.org.