Drought Resources | Official Website - Assemblymember Marc Berman Representing the 23rd California Assembly District

Locate Your Water District

Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency (BAWSCA): Member Agency Map

Valley Water: Local Information (arcgis.com)

SFWPS: San Francisco Water Power Sewer | SFPUC

City Water Resources

Atherton
- 100% of Atherton is served by CalWater’s Bear Gulch District
- Click here to learn more
Cupertino
- Cupertino is served by San Jose Water and CalWater
- Click here to learn more
Half Moon Bay
- 100% of Half Moon Bay is served by the Coastside County Water District
- Click here to learn more
Los Altos
- 100% of Los Altos is served by CalWater
- Click here to learn more
Los Altos Hills
- Los Altos Hills is served by Purissima Hills Water District and CalWater
- Click here to learn more
- Click here for a map of the Purissima Hills Water District boundaries
Menlo Park
- 100% of Menlo Park’s water comes from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and is provided through Menlo Park Municipal Water, CalWater, and O’Connor Water Company
- Click here to learn more
Mountain View
- Mountain View’s water comes 87% from SFPUC, 10% from Valley Water, and 3% from local groundwater
- Click here to learn more
- Click here for a map of Mountain View water zones
Palo Alto
- 100% of Palo Alto is served by SFPUC
- Click here to learn more
Pescadero
- The two main water providers are the County Service Area 11 and the Butano Canyon Mutual Water Co.
- Click here to learn more about CSA 11
- Contact the Butano Canyon Mutual Water Co. at butanowatercompany@gmail.com
Portola Valley
- 100% of Portola Valley’s water is served by CalWater’s Bear Gulch District
- Click here to learn more
Woodside
- Most of Woodside is covered by CalWater, with some residents served by Skyline County Water District, Skylonda Mutual Water Co., Woodside Mutual Water Co., and Redwood City Water
- Click here to learn more

Rebate Programs

Rebate programs provide cash back or assistance in exchange for performing certain actions or buying specific products that help the community as a whole.

Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency (BAWSCA)
- Lawn be Gone: Lawn Be Gone! (bawsca.org)
  - Save water by removing your grass! Replace your lawn with a beautiful, drought-tolerant landscape and receive a rebate of up to $4 per sq. ft. Add a rain garden to your project and earn an additional $300 rebate!
- Rain Barrels: Rain Barrels (bawsca.org)
  - Rebates of up to $200 per rain barrel or cistern for the purchase and installation of qualifying rain barrels.
- Smart Controller: Smart Controller Instant Rebate (bawsca.org)
  - Limited-time program helps homeowners to maximize watering efficiency with discounted pricing on the Rachio Smart Irrigation Controllers. Customers of participating water agencies can receive a Rachio 3 Smart Irrigation Controller at a discounted price of $100 + tax (MSRP: $279.99)

CalWater
- Los Altos Rebates: Rebates - Cal Water
  - High-efficiency toilet rebate
    - $100 rebate for high-efficiency toilet models
  - High-efficiency clothes washer rebate
    - $300 rebate for purchasing a high-efficiency clothes washer
  - Smart irrigation controller rebate
    - $125 for purchasing a smart irrigation controller that adjusts watering schedule in response to changing weather conditions
  - High-efficiency sprinkler nozzle rebate
    - Save up to $5 per nozzle for purchases of high-efficiency sprinkler nozzles
- Bear Gulch District: Rebates - Cal Water (Atherton, Portola Valley, Woodside, parts of Menlo Park, parts of unincorporated Redwood city, West Menlo Park, Ladera, North Fair Oaks, and Menlo Oaks)
  - High-efficiency toilet rebate
    - $100 rebate for high-efficiency toilet models
  - High-efficiency clothes washer rebate
    - $300 rebate for purchasing a high-efficiency clothes washer
  - Smart irrigation controller rebate
    - $125 for purchasing a smart irrigation controller that adjusts watering schedule in response to changing weather conditions
  - High-efficiency sprinkler nozzle rebate
    - Save up to $5 per nozzle for purchases of high-efficiency sprinkler nozzles

Valley Water
- Landscape: Landscape Rebates | Santa Clara Valley Water
  - Landscape Conservation Rebate
    - $2 per square foot of converted high-water use landscapes to low-water use landscapes
  - In-Line Drip Irrigation Conservation Rebate
    - Convert overhead sprinklers to in-line drip tubing in existing shrubs, perennial, or annual planting beds
  - Irrigation Equipment Upgrade Rebate
    - Will help you replace your qualifying inefficient irrigation hardware with approved efficient equipment
  - Rainwater Capture Rebate
    - Will help you install rain barrels, cisterns, and rain gardens if you have an existing gutter or downspout system
  - Lawn Busters Program for Low Income, Seniors, or US Veterans
    - Provides subsidized assessments and landscape design, planting and quality-assurance follow up
- Grey Water: Graywater Rebate | Santa Clara Valley Water
  - Receive up to $400 to install a Graywater Laundry-to-Landscape System to make your landscape more resilient with a local, sustainable water supply
- Commercial & Facility: Commercial & Facility Rebates | Santa Clara Valley Water
  - Water Efficient Technology (WET) Rebate Program
    - Designed to help commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities implement equipment changes that reduces facility water usage. Facility may qualify for rebates up to $100,000 per conservation project
- Submeter & Private Well: Submeter & Private Well Rebates | Santa Clara Valley Water
  - Submeter Rebate Program
    - $150 rebate per installed water submeter to multi-family properties including mobile home parks, apartments, HOAs, and condominium complex’s
    - City of Palo Alto Utility customers are eligible for $300 rebate
  - Private Well Meter Rebate Program
    - $150 rebate for installing a new, Valley Water-approved water meter on your qualifying well
- Water Wise Outdoor Surveys: Water Wise Outdoor Surveys | Santa Clara Valley Water
  - Free service offered to single-family and small multi-family sites in Santa Clara County
  - A trained irrigation professional will complete a comprehensive evaluation of your irrigation system
  - Can help identify and prioritize improvements that may be eligible for rebates
- Commercial Landscape Surveys: Commercial Landscape Surveys | Santa Clara Valley Water
  - Free consultations offered to commercial, industrial, institutional, and multi-family properties through the Large Landscape Program
  - Evaluation of current irrigation system and landscape water management, and offers recommendations for improvements
  - Can pre-qualify for other rebate programs

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
- Residential Washers: Residential Washers | SFPUC
  - $100 for purchase and installation of a 2021-22 Energy Star Most Efficient high-efficiency clothes washer
- Commercial Washers: Commercial Washers | SFPUC
  - $500 per commercial high-efficiency clothes washer with water factor of 4.5 or below
- Commercial Equipment Retrofit: Commercial Equipment Retrofit | SFPUC
  - Grants for non-residential retail water service customers who can significantly reduce their use of potable water through upgrade or replacement of existing onsite indoor water using equipment
  - $1 per ccf over a 10-year lifespan up to 50% of the projects equipment costs
  - A single customer may apply for more than one project
- GoSolarSF: GoSolarSF | SFPUC
  - Monetary incentive to help residents and businesses install solar panels on rooftops across SF
- Graywater: Graywater / Laundry to Landscape | SFPUC
  - Partnered with the Urban Farmer Store, offering $125 discount off the purchase of L2L graywater kit (retail cot of $175)
- Rainwater Harvesting: Rainwater Harvesting | SFPUC
  - Rain barrel costs are fully covered by the rebate, only need to pay $8.50 for tax
  - Cisterns are discounted as well
  - Up to $225 to help cover the cost of obtaining a permit

Purissima Hills Water District
- Conservation (purissimawater.org)
  - Water Wise Outdoor Surveys: Water Wise Outdoor Surveys | Santa Clara Valley Water
    - Free service offered to single-family and small multi-family sites in Santa Clara County
    - A trained irrigation professional will complete a comprehensive evaluation of your irrigation system
    - Can help identify and prioritize improvements that may be eligible for rebates
    - Landscape: Landscape Rebates
      - In-Line Drip Irrigation Conservation Rebate
        Convert overhead sprinklers to in-line drip tubing in existing shrubs, perennial, or annual planting beds
      - Irrigation Equipment Upgrade Rebate
        Will help you replace your qualifying inefficient irrigation hardware with approved efficient equipment
      - Rainwater Capture Rebate
        Will help you install rain barrels, cisterns, and rain gardens if you have an existing gutter or downspout system

San Jose Water (Cupertino)
- Rebates & Incentives | San Jose Water (sjwater.com)
  - Submeter: Submeter & Private Well Rebates | Santa Clara Valley Water
    - Submeter Rebate Program
      - $150 rebate per installed water submeter to multi-family properties including mobile home parks, apartments, HOAs, and condominium complex’s
      - City of Palo Alto Utility customers are eligible for $300 rebate
    - Water Efficient Technology (WET) Rebate Program
      - Designed to help commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities implement equipment changes that reduces facility water usage. Facility may qualify for rebates up to $100,000 per conservation project
  - Commercial Landscape Surveys: Commercial Landscape Surveys | Santa Clara Valley Water
    - Free consultations offered to commercial, industrial, institutional, and multi-family properties through the Large Landscape Program
    - Evaluation of current irrigation system and landscape water management, and offers recommendations for improvements
    - Can pre-qualify residents for other rebate programs
  - CATCH program: CATCH | San Jose Water (sjwater.com)
    - Water efficiency expert visits home to identify visible leaks and recommend critical water and money-saving improvements

State Resources

To learn more water conservation tips and tricks, click here
For up to date information and updates on the drought from the California State Water Resource Control Board, click here
To learn about all of the state actions being taken against the drought, click here
To visit the California Department of Water Resources, click here
To read the 2021 California drought brochure, click here

Need to report a neighbor’s water over-usage?

To report water over-usage to the Santa Clara Valley Water District, click here
To report water leaks and waste to Cal Water, click here
To report water waste on private property to the SFPUC, click here
To report water waste on public property to the SFPUC, click here

Indoor Conservation Tips

In the Bathroom

Save up to 4 gallons per minute (and 10 gallons per person per day) while brushing your teeth or washing hands by turning the faucet off when you’re not using it.
Save as much as 6 gallons per flush from your toilet, the largest water user inside homes, by switching from an older model that uses 7 gallons per flush to a modern model that uses 1.28 gallons or less per flush.
Save up to 1,000 gallons per month by keeping showers under 5 minutes – showering uses 2.5 gallons per minute.
Save up to 300 gallons per month by plugging the sink while shaving.
Save up to 150 gallons per month by turning off the water while shampooing/conditioning hair.
Reuse towels when at home or in a hotel.

In the Kitchen

Save up to 4 gallons per minute (and 10 gallons per person per day) when washing dishes by turning off the faucet when not actively in use.
When washing dishes by hand, rather than letting the water run, let the pots and pans soak in water before wiping them clean.
Save up to 1,000 gallons of water a month by filling dishwashers and washing machines to maximum capacity for a more efficient usage of water
Reduce water usage by 4% by installing aerators on sinks around the home.
Use only one glass or refillable water bottle per day to cut down on the number of glasses that need washing.
Instead of using the garbage disposal, compost food waste to save gallons of water each time.

Leaks

Leaks can waste up to 180 gallons per week for a family.
Detect toilet leaks by putting food coloring in your toilet tank: if it seeps into the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak. Fix it and start saving gallons.
Save up to 5 gallons per day by monitoring water bills and meters to help identify leaks or unusually high usage.
Fixing a leaky faucet can save 5 gallons per week by fixing a leaky faucet.
Check all hoses, connectors, pipes, and faucets regularly for leaks.

Outdoor Conservation Tips

*Changing your landscaping practices is one of the best ways to reduce your water usage

Hoses, Cleaning and Pools

Check outdoor faucets, pipes, and hoses for leaks.
Use hoses with automatic shut-off nozzles, while also turning off the water from the faucet to avoid leaks.
Use a water saving pool filter in swimming pools.
Do not water streets, driveways, or sidewalks. Use a broom, not water, to clean these areas.
Use commercial car washes that recycle water. If you do wash your own car, park on the grass to reuse water.

In the Yard

Hydro-zone plants with similar watering needs together to save water while avoiding over- and under-watering.
Use moisture meters as soil probes to test your soil for its moisture level and water accordingly.
Deep-water trees so they remain healthy and hydrated while also using less water.
Eliminate runoff and overspray by checking and adjusting irrigation systems regularly.
Plant drought resistant trees and plants that require less water usage.
Water lawns and plants between 9 pm and 6 am to reduce evaporation.

Graywater/Rainwater Harvesting

Graywater is the lightly used water collected from showers, bathtubs, and bathroom sinks. Utilize a graywater system to save both water and money when showering, doing laundry, or watering plants.
Visit About Graywater | Santa Clara Valley Water for more resources on graywater harvesting and systems.
Rainwater harvesting systems are another avenue for saving water and cutting costs.
Visit Rainwater Management — South Bay Green Gardens to learn more about rainwater harvesting and management.

Drought Town Hall

In case you missed it, watch Assemblymember Berman's virtual Drought Town Hall with experts from our community's local water providers.

Expert speakers include:

Tom Francis, Water Resources Manager, Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA)
Jeanine Jones, Interstate Resources Manager and Drought Manager, California Department of Water Resources (DWR)
Robert Seeley, Regional Community Affairs Specialist, California Water Service (Cal Water)
Vice Chair Gary Kremen, Board Member, Valley Water

They provide:

An update on the decreasing water supply in our area
Important tips for water conservation
Breaking news updates on what to expect this summer in our community
Information about the threats posed by extreme drought