For all water conservation and water waste questions or concerns, please contact:

• Business Hours (8 am to 5 pm)
  • Public Works Department: (530) 822-4626
  • Spanish: (530) 822-4636 ext. 3405
  • Punjabi: (530) 790-5052
• After Hours
  • Water Treatment Plant: (530) 822-4636
  • DO NOT contact the Yuba City Police Department
• 24-Hours
  • [email protected]
  • Submit a YC311 request via www.yubacity.net
  • Utilize the “YC311 At Your Service” free smartphone/tablet app

The City’s primary source of water is the Feather River. The river and Oroville Dam are currently at historic lows, which is anticipated to continue through 2022-2023. The City’s water supplies have subsequently been curtailed and reduced by the State, many to the levels experienced during the 2012-2016 drought due to low precipitation and snowpack. Due to this reduced supply and the projected drought continuing into 2023, the City will need to utilize “carryover” water saved during previous years’ allotments in order to meet our customers’ needs this year.

In order to preserve as much carryover water as possible for future need and meet the 20% reduction target established by the State in a recent Executive Order, the City elected to enter Stage 3 of 6 (Severe Shortage) of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP Summary Table), which implements restricted irrigation and water use.

The City is designing and constructing new and/or improved groundwater sources and water storage facilities in order to supplement annual surface water supply from the Feather River. Groundwater projects include constructing a second groundwater well at the Water Treatment Plant by Spring 2023 and restoring Groundwater Well #9 from the prior Hillcrest groundwater system by June 2022. Additionally, a water storage project to install an Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) system at the Water Treatment Plant will allow the City to store treated surface water from times of greater supply, such as winter or high rain, for use during low supply times. A number of these projects are funded by state and federal grants. The City also continuously evaluates and implements changes to reduce water loss within the existing treatment and distribution system in order to best utilize available water supply.

New development is analyzed and accounted for in the City’s water supply needs as part of the City’s Water Master Plan. Additionally, new development has a number of state and City requirements for improved water-efficiency, including reduced irrigation needs for landscaping, which will require less water supply per meter.

Under current state and City restrictions, the City will continue to operate the spraygrounds at Regency Park and Shanghai Garden Park with limited hours beginning Memorial Day Weekend. The spraygrounds will be in operation from 10 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 7 pm each day. The water features are motion detecting and do not run continuously.

The Town Center and City Hall fountains are recirculating fountains, which are permissible per the water restriction guidelines, and will continue to run in order to reduce maintenance issues.

Gauche Aquatic Park will operate as normal and its water features are also recirculating.

The City’s mandatory water restrictions apply to all City water customers including both residential and commercial. Irrigation restrictions do not apply to customers whose irrigation is provided by groundwater well. These measures are essential to ensure that we have enough water resources for the upcoming year.

The City is also doing its part to adhere to the irrigation restrictions for City-maintained facilities and landscaping. Please let us know if you see City irrigation issues.

Under current Stage 3 guidelines, the City will issue water violations for the following water restriction violations:

• Outdoor watering/irrigating outside of designated times
• Excessive watering resulting in gutter flooding
• Using a hose without a shutoff nozzle
• Washing down hard surfaces such as sidewalks and driveways
• Using a non-recirculating fountain
• Not repairing leaks in a timely manner

The recently installed cellular water meters allow our customers to track their water usage in real time via the EyeOnWater website and smartphone/tablet app. Instructions for signing up for this free service can be found here: EyeOnWater.

At this time, the City is not restricting total water usage. Our goal for water conservation for the City as a whole is a 20% reduction compared to 2020 usage. The majority of household water use is outdoor irrigation, which is the focus of current water restrictions. Should drought conditions continue or current restrictions do not meet the reduction target, the State or City may need to change water restrictions to meet water supply needs.

Yes, water rebates are still offered by the City, subject to available funding. Current rebate offers are available for:

• WaterSense smart irrigation timers
• WaterSense water-efficient toilets
• WaterSense water-efficient showerheads

Please visit www.yubacity.net/rebates for a rebate application and guidelines.

Yes, there are no current restrictions on pool installation or filling.

You can water all outdoor landscaping on Mondays and Thursdays ONLY for ALL property addresses for both residential and commercial customers. We encourage watering in the mornings or evenings to reduce evaporation.

The City encourages customers to consider limiting installation of new sod at this time and consider lower water-use landscaping alternatives. Should you install new sod, it may be watered up to three times a day for three weeks from the date of installation. You must notify the Public Works Department at (530) 822-4626 or [email protected] of the installation date and location of the new sod to avoid water violations under current restrictions.

City facilities and parks will adhere to the water restrictions, just like our customers, and reduce irrigation to two days per week, Mondays and Thursdays. Some City parks and facilities are watered using groundwater wells or non-potable water, which may result in slightly different irrigation schedules to best match staffing and system needs while still complying with state and City requirements. If you see broken or mis-timed City irrigation, please contact us at the information above so that we can resolve the water waste in a timely manner.

The City provides complementary sprinkler timer adjustments in order to help our customers comply with the mandatory irrigation schedule. For assistance, please enter a request in YC311 via our website or app, or call the Public Works Department at (530) 822-4626. For Spanish, call (530) 822-4636 ext. 3405. For Punjabi, call (530) 790-5052.

We recommend deep root watering as the most water-efficient way to keep trees healthy during drought periods. For more information, see the attached brochure HERE.

The property owner will need to continue irrigating the mow strip and trees. In addition to the Monday and Thursday permitted lawn irrigation days, the City recommends additional deep root watering or other direct irrigation of the trees to help keep trees healthy. If the trees aren’t properly irrigated, the roots may migrate upward looking for a source of water and potentially raise or crack the sidewalks and driveways or break nearby water and sewer lines. More information about deep root watering can be found HERE.