Water Supply Conditions

Thank you for helping Stanford University conserve water at a critical time during the drought. Governor Newsom has rolled back some of the state’s drought restrictions, and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and Valley Water have approved rescinding some of their drought actions.

At a statewide level, the ban on potable water irrigation of non-functional turf in commercial, industrial, and institutional areas (including multi-family residential properties) remains in effect. Irrigation of non-functional turf in Faculty and Staff Housing is still limited to 2 days/week*. Other landscaping can now be irrigated more frequently if needed. Additionally, SFPUC and Valley Water have both continued their voluntary call for conservation and percentage reduction target. We will update this page once the voluntary call (in Stanford's case, 15% reduction from 2019 use) has been lifted.

Conservation will remain essential at Stanford and in California, and prohibitions of wasteful water use will continue to remain effective including:
·      Using potable water to wash sidewalks and driveways (except for health and safety needs);
·      Allowing more than incidental runoff when irrigating turf and other ornamental landscapes;
·      Using hoses without automatic shutoff nozzles to wash motor vehicles;
·      Using potable water in ornamental fountains or decorative water features that do not recirculate the water;
·      Irrigating turf and ornamental landscape during and within 48 hours following measurable rainfall.

*Tuesday and Friday nights for even numbered addresses, and Monday and Thursday nights for odd numbered addresses (and those areas without an address), between the hours of 7:00 pm and 7:00 am.

Last updated: April 2023