Morro Bay remains under severely restricted water supply conditions

MORRO BAY — The City of Morro Bay City Council approved the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) during their regular meeting on Tuesday, October 12. The UWMP conducts long-term resource planning and establishes water management measures to ensure adequate water supplies are available to meet existing and future demands. The UWMP includes an analysis of a five consecutive dry years event based on supply/demand modeling and references anticipated recycled water (labeled as IPR in the chart below) from the Water Reclamation Facility, still under construction, as a source of supply. The results indicate the City can meet future water demands in such a scenario.

Despite this positive projection, the City reminds residents and businesses of the importance of water conservation as the State enters its third consecutive drought year. Continued water conservation efforts will help to ensure adequate water supply is available should the current drought continue to reduce the State’s collective water supply.

The City remains under Severely Restricted Water Supply Conditions, its third tier of water conservation restrictions since July 8, 2021. The water prohibitions include:

  • No use of water to clean driveways, patios, parking lots, sidewalks, and streets
  • No outdoor irrigation between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
  • No irrigation on landscaping, turf areas, and gardens except on Wednesdays and Sundays for even-numbered addresses and Tuesdays and Saturdays on odd-numbered addresses
  • No use of potable water for compaction or dust control purposes in construction activities
  • No use of freshwater without spring-loaded shutoff nozzles or similar controlling devices to wash down boats, docks, or other incidental activities

Any resident or business with questions about these water conservation restrictions can contact Gregory Kwolek, Public Works Director by email at gkwolek@morrobayca.gov. We appreciate our water customers’ assistance and support of water conservation efforts.

The City’s new Water Reclamation Facility (WRF), once fully online, is planned to supplement the City’s main water supplies through Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR) as needed. These supplies include State water and water from the Morro Valley extraction wells. IPR is a water source developed from injecting purified water into the Morro Creek groundwater for extraction during drought periods in accordance with State regulations to protect public health and safety. The City plans to have operability of the WRF and IPR infrastructure by late 2023.

The UWMP is available at morrobayca.gov/2020UWMP.