Drought

Best practices for all residents and businesses: (Please note HOA's and businesses have additional guidelines. Please see Homeowner’s Associations and Commercial Properties section below)

1. Limit watering of lawns, landscape, and turf areas to no more than 2 days per week and no more than 15 minutes of watering per day per station or irrigation zone.
   • Commercial properties and HOA's must not water all decorative grass.
2. Do not water outside plants or landscaping within 48 hours after significant rainfall.
3. Adjust outdoor watering systems to avoid runoff onto non-landscaped areas (walkways, roads, parking lots, or structures).
4. Do not use water to clean driveways or sidewalks, instead use a broom.
5. Wash your car at a commercial facility that recirculates the water.
6. Do not use water in a water feature, except where the water is part of a recirculating system or needed to sustain aquatic life in lakes/ponds.
7. Check for hidden leaks by reading your water meter when all devices are off.
8. Fix leaks or broken plumbing features as soon as possible or within 72 hours after noticing issue.

Additional steps you can take:

• Get free water saving devices for indoor and outdoor devices from Valley Water.
• Report wasted water to your water service provider by clicking the link below.

Water restrictions and rules vary depending on your water retailer. For specific rules and regulations visit your water retailer's webpage by clicking the link below.

In Cupertino, we have two water retailers: San Jose Water and California Water Service Company. If you are unsure who your water retailer is, see the map below or visit Valley Water's retailer search tool.

San Jose Water
408.279.7900

Watering times:

• Odd numbered addresses: Monday & Thursday
• Even numbered addresses: Tuesday & Friday

Watering must occur between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.

• Report Water Waste for San Jose Water customers
• Reading your meter and understand your bill
• Information about drought (San Jose Water)
• Tips to conserve water (San Jose Water)
• Rebates and incentives for San Jose Water Company customers

California Water Service Company
650.917.0152

Watering times:

• Odd numbered addresses: Tuesday & Saturday
• Even numbered addresses: Wednesday & Sunday

Watering must occur between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.

• Report Water Waste for Cal Water customers
• Reading your meter video and understand your bill
• Information about drought (California Water Service)
• Tips to conserve water (California Water Service)
• Rebates and incentives for California Water Service customers

For those working, learning, and otherwise spending more time at home, there are many opportunities to conserve water and save money on utilities while sheltering in place. 

Learn the Tips & Tricks of Landscape Care and Conservation: Curious about native California plants and waterwise landscapes? Learn the basics in these fun and informative videos.

Save Water at Home with Free Toolkit and Supplies: Valley Water’s free Water Wise Home Survey Do-It-Yourself Kit, which can be mailed directly to Cupertino residents, provides the tools needed to measure the flow rate of your shower, check for toilet leaks, and more. This interactive, family-friendly activity will help your household identify opportunities to reduce water use and save money. Once you test your fixtures, you can request free water-efficient showerheads, faucet aerators, and toilet flappers from Valley Waters shopping cart.

Get Started on Conservation Projects & Rebates: You can still research and make progress on water-conserving improvements to your home. Many projects, such as irrigation equipment upgrades or rainwater capture, may not require an onsite pre-inspection and can be fully completed through the online application process.

Graywater, Laundry to Landscape: The City of Cupertino has partnered with the Santa Clara Water District to offerebates to Cupertino residents who install qualifying Laundry to Landscape systems in their homes.

Landscape Conversion: Eligible residents and businesses can apply for a rebate from the Santa Clara Valley Water District to help offset the cost of replacing a lawn or pool with drought-tolerant landscaping.

Rainwater Capture: Reduce cost of irrigating your landscape by harvesting rainwater from your roof. Cupertino residents can receive up to $35 per rain barrel and $1 per square foot of roof area converted to a rain garden.

Other rebates are available for certain water efficiency products and equipment for customers of the California Water Service Company and through the Santa Clara Valley Water District for customers of the San Jose Water Company.

Convert your outdoor space with help from Climate Victory Garden: Cupertino's Climate Victory Garden program is a pilot project designed to help residents navigate their front yard conversion project and rebate process. This project is no longer accepting new applicants. Learn more at Climate Garden.

Additional tips can be found on Valley Water's websites:

• Find ways to conserve water and information about rebates at Watersavings.org
• Read frequently asked questions about the drought.

New California Law as of June 10, 2022

Owners and managers of non-residential property, including homeowner’s associations, commercial and institutional facilities, must meet the following requirements:

• Commercial, industrial, and institutional decorative grass should not be watered
• Turn off decorative water fountains
• Give all trees just what they need: avoid overwatering
• Follow the local requirements of your water supplier (see best practices above)
• Turn off/pause your irrigation system when it’s raining and for two days after rain
• Use an automatic shutoff nozzle on your water hose
• Use a broom, not water, to clean sidewalks and driveways

Violation of these requirements is now considered an infraction under State Law. The water suppliers or local government may choose to enforce the regulations with a fine of up to five hundred dollars for each day in which the irrigation of non-functional turf occurs.

There is financial assistance available to convert these spaces to drought tolerant landscaping. Commercial and HOA properties can apply to save $3.00 per square foot for the first 10,000 square feet and $2.00 per square foot thereafter and more. Visit WaterSavings.org view all your rebate options.

View Fact Sheet to understand the new law here.

View California's frequently asked questions here.

More information about this law can be found at:
https://drought.ca.gov/state-drought-response/statewide-emergency-water-conservation-regulations/

The State, Valley Water, and the two urban water suppliers in Cupertino are collectively responding to this emergency. Below is a chronological summary of actions completed:

• April 21, 2021- The Governor issued a proclamation directing state agencies to take immediate action to bolster drought resilience and prepare for impacts on communities, businesses, and ecosystems, and proclaiming a State of Emergency to exist in Mendocino and Sonoma counties due to severe drought conditions in the Russian River Watershed.
• May 10, 2021 - The Governor expanded the drought proclamation to 41 counties, including Alameda County. However, Santa Clara County was not included at that time.
• May 25, 2021 - The US Drought Monitor report indicated that Santa Clara County is in Extreme Drought.
• June 9, 2021 – Valley Water held a special meeting to discuss the drought and approved a resolution to declare a water shortage emergency condition.
• June 14, 2021 – Cal Water Services Company filed Schedule 14.1 with CPUC.
• June 18, 2021 – San Jose Water Company filed Advice Letters 563 and 564 with CPUC.
• June 22, 2021 – The County adopted a Resolution ratifying the proclamation of a local emergency due to the drought.
• July 8, 2021 – The Governor issued Executive Order and called on Californians to voluntarily reduce water use by 15% compared to 2020 levels.
• October 15, 2021 – San Jose Water field Advice Letter 569 requesting authorization to implement Schedule 14.1 (drought surcharges).
• December 13, 2021 – San Jose Water implemented Schedule 14.1.
• January 18, 2022- The State’s water conservation emergency regulation became effective. It will remain in effect for one year from the effective date, unless the State Water Board acts to end, modify, or readopt it.
• April 12, 2022 – Valley Water calls for no more than 2 days of irrigation in a week for lawns and ornamental landscapes and prohibits excessive runoff and midday irrigation.
• May 24, 2022 – Valley Water considers ordinance to enforce outdoor water use restrictions.
• June 2022 - California passes an emergency declaration that all non-residential properties must stop watering decorative lawns.

The City of Cupertino organization plans to achieve the 15 percent savings goal. Based on the current restrictions imposed by Valley Water, City Municipal Operations are currently at Stage 4 of water conservation measures, which means the City will follow the guidelines such as:

• Reduce water programming for all outside irrigation for trees/shrubs, having them be at a minimum according to the conservation amount.
• No watering of turf used passively.
• Limited watering (consistent with two days/week watering or similar) of turf areas used intermittingly at City permitted events.
• A minimum of 20 percent reduced watering of turf areas by City or school recreation events.
• No filling of ponds at Memorial Park.
• No operation of the interactive fountain at Community Hall.
• No water used to clean asphalt areas/sidewalks/plaza areas.
• Water used for street sweeping to be minimized while complying with Santa Clara Valley Air Board requirements.

Community Garden

• Gardeners have been provided information about the conservation requirements and tips on best practices for watering.
• Drip line use has been encouraged. Master Gardeners have held a workshop to teach gardeners how to install drip lines and coordinated efforts with some retailers to provide them a discount on supplies.

Blackberry Farm Golf Course

• Phase 1: stop watering the rough areas
• Phase 2: stop watering the fairways
  • 2a: 50 yards in front of the tee boxes
  • 2b: 100 yards in front of the tee boxes

The City has a long history of conserving water across its operations, leading by example through its practices, and encouraging businesses, residents and schools to do the same.

During the 2015 drought, staff developed and implemented water conservation restriction measures for City operations and made amendments to the Municipal Code Chapter 15.32 to allow the City to further conserve water.. Through City’s actions, the City was able to achieve a cumulative savings that is 31 percent below the 2013 consumption baseline.

Additionally, the City provided additional incentives to residents that participated in the landscape rebate program. . From 2010 through 2020, there were a total of 339 rebates processed with 457,569 square feet of landscape converted to drought-tolerant plantings. These projects resulted in permanent conservation of approximately 9.2 million gallons of water every year. As shown in the following table, the number of residents and businesses participating in the landscape conversion program increased during 2015 and 2016, when the City started offering additional incentives.

Cupertino Participation in SCVWD Landscape Rebate Program

City of Cupertino's restrictions

• Learn more about the City of Cupertino's water efficient landscaping ordinance.
• View requirements for building and grading permits

San Jose Water Company

• Information about drought (San Jose Water)
• Tips to conserve water (San Jose Water)
• Rebates and incentives for San Jose Water Company customers

California Water Service

• Information about drought (California Water Service)
• Tips to conserve water (California Water Service)
• Rebates and incentives for California Water Service customers