Folsom water customers asked to conserve amid drought conditions

Voluntarily ten percent water cut back sought

Folsom, CA – At its May 25 meeting, the Folsom City Council requested that Folsom water customers voluntarily reduce water use by 10 percent amid drought conditions and directed staff to increase outreach about water conservation.

The request is in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May 10, 2021 emergency executive order to mitigate the effects of drought conditions in 41 of California’s 58 counties, including Sacramento County. On May 13, 2021, the Regional Water Authority (RWA)- a joint powers authority representing 20 water providers, including Folsom- adopted a resolution urging their members to consider conservation actions, such as asking customers to voluntary conserve in order to help the environment of the Lower American River.

The City of Folsom receives its water supply from the American River at Folsom Reservoir. Reservoir storage levels are lower than historic drought conditions in 2014 and 2015, and this is currently the second driest year on record since 1977.

This action will:

• Preserve water in Folsom Lake, the City of Folsom’s primary water source.
• Reduce water supply impacts in the fall and winter months.
• Help protect the environment and the Lower American River.

“While Folsom has the water supply needs of our community, we are calling on our water customers to do their part and conserve amid drought conditions across much of California,” said Folsom Mayor Mike Kozlowski. “I’m confident our community will be responsive to the call to conserve.”

Folsom water customers have successfully conserved water during drought years. Between 2014 and 2016, the city and its customers reduced its demand from Folsom Lake by an average of 26% compared to 2013.

Folsom water customers are encouraged to voluntarily conserve water by 10 percent, especially outdoors, where most household water use occurs in the Sacramento region.

Additionally, customers can reduce irrigation runoff and fix leaks inside and out to achieve significant water savings. Below are some tips for customers:

• Reduce irrigation days to three times per week.
• Reduce sprinkler run time by 2-3 minutes.
• Install an EPA WaterSense SMART irrigation controller.

The City of Folsom Water Conservation Division is committed to helping water customers use water efficiently. The services and programs below are available to help you use water wisely.

• Free Water Wise House Calls.
• Large Landscape Irrigation and Commercial Water Audits.
• Water Efficiency Rebates.

Rebates & Upgrades

Rebates are available to help you save water and save money. Current City rebates include irrigation efficiency upgrades, high-efficiency toilet upgrades, and a Rachio Smart Controller program in conjunction with the Regional Water Authority.

Folsom water customers can track water use by reviewing Folsom utility bills or by downloading the City of Folsom’s water conservation app Dropcountr.

Water meters are a valuable resource. Reading your water meter will tell you how much water you are using and whether you have a leak. The City of Folsom released a short video that guides you through reading your City of Folsom water meter.

Learn more about water conservation and rebate programs on the City of Folsom website.

Find ways to reduce water use, schedule a Water Wise House Call, or learn more about rebates at www.folsom.ca.us/WaterConservation or bewatersmart.info.

Best Ways to Save

In the Sacramento region, most of the water we use daily goes on lawns and outdoor landscaping, and about 30 percent of that is lost due to overwatering and evaporation. There are many ways to save water at home, but using water efficiently outdoors can make the biggest difference of all. The City of Folsom Water Conservation Division and Sacramento Regional Water Authority offers five possible actions to take now:

1: Check the soil moisture with a moisture meter before turning on sprinklers-saves 80 gallons of water per day. Request a free moisture meter, while supplies last, at BeWaterSmart.info.

2: Replace older sprinklers with more high-efficiency rotary nozzles-saves 8 gallons of water per 1,000 square feet of yard per day.

3: Upgrade to a WaterSense-labeled weather-based sprinkler timer-saves up to 100-150 gallons of water per day. Learn about available rebates at BeWaterSmart.info/rebates-services and www.folsom.ca.us/WaterConservation.

4: Water plants early in the morning to reduce evaporation-saves 50 gallons of water each time you water.

5: Inside your home, check and fix leaks-saves 30-50 gallons of water per day.