The Simi Valley City Council is bringing more flexibility to its water conservation program

Now, instead of irrigating their lawns a limited number of days per week, homeowners are permitted to water up to 45 minutes per station per week.

In the winter months, from November to March, this allotment will decrease to 30 minutes per station per week.

The City Council, acting in its authority as Ventura County Waterworks District No. 8, originally designated certain days for watering to aid enforcement of a mandate passed in July. The mandate came after a call by the district’s water suppliers to reduce usage by 15 percent.

Under the declaration, homeowners who receive water from the city could only irrigate their lawns on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from April to October, and Monday and Thursday from November to March.

However, due to concerns expressed by the public as well as some council members, the city decided last month to delete reference to specific days of the week in its watering rules but to keep the restriction regarding the number of days per week.

Then, at the suggestion of Councilmember Glen Becerra, city staff looked into another option that would tell residents how long they could water rather than how often.

The city came up with its watering durations using simple math that would ensure the same amount of water was being saved under the new rules. Under the old water conservation program, watering was limited to 15 minutes per station, which equals 45 minutes per station per week during the three-days season period and 30 minutes per station per week during the two-days season.

Since the limits on the number of watering days are based on the Metropolitan Water District’s model ordinance, there was some concern that if the city strayed too far from that model it could lose grant funding. But city staff informed the council Monday night that as long as the city “keeps to the spirit” of the model ordinance, grant eligibility would remain secure.

The city has reserved the right to change back to designated days by keeping the language in the ordinance.

City Manager Mike Sedell acknowledged that the new rules will be even more difficult to enforce but said that the council believes the community will “step up to the plate.”

“I think people realize there is a clear water shortage and people will respond to environmental concerns as they always have,” he said. “The council felt that we’ve provided an honor system before for environmental issues in this community and the public has proven themselves trustworthy.”

While the council can choose at any time to revert back to the old rules that designate a certain number of watering days per week, Sedell said that is unlikely as long as the city achieves the required water savings.

—Carissa Marsh