Santa Cruz under water shortage warning

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) Santa Cruz is under a Stage 1 Water Shortage Warning.

The warning went into effect Saturday, and comes following a second consecutive year of below average rainfall and dry conditions.

During a Stage 1 Warning, customers are required to stay within an allocated monthly water budget; however, there are no penalties for going over that budget. If the City experiences a dry year in 2022, it will move to a Stage 2 Water Shortage Warning. Penalties are applied in Stage 2.

“While we have enough water for this year, if we have another dry year, or multiple more dry years, the city could be in trouble. We have to manage our water supply for the future as well as the present," said Water Director Rosemary Menard.

Detailed Stage 1 residential, commercial and irrigation information can be found here.

Customers are encouraged to sign-up for WaterSmart, an online tool to help manage water use, which can also be found here.

If customers do not receive their water bill, they should contact who does to learn their allotment.