Water Conservation FAQ's

Water agencies in California are required to have a Water Shortage Contingency Plan in place that defines the actions to be taken locally in response to 6 different levels of water shortage. These are defined as Levels 1 through 6, with Level 1 defining the actions for a 0 – 10% water shortage, Level 2 for 10 – 20% shortage, etc., and Level 6 for a 50% or more shortage. These levels are explained in the City’s Municipal Code and can be found HERE.

The City’s Level 1 water restrictions apply to everyone within the City, regardless of your service provider. In cases where the restrictions of your service provider are not aligned with these, you will need to follow the more stringent (stricter) requirements.

You must abide by the restrictions of your water service provider. If that service provider is the City then you should follow the same Level 1 water restrictions as the incorporated area.

Up to 70% of our water use is for outside irrigation. Reducing outdoor watering is the most effective way to achieve the substantial reductions required so we ensure sufficient water for our needs through the end of the year.

Under Level 1, watering or irrigating landscape and vegetated areas with potable water using a sprinkler system that includes spray heads and/or bubblers or a watering device that is not continuously attended is allowed for up to 10 minutes of watering per day per station or irrigation zone.

Larger landscaped areas are often divided up into multiple separate irrigation zones, each controlled by its own valve. When operating the valves by hand, they can all be opened simultaneously to irrigate all areas at once. However, when an irrigation controller is used, it will typically cycle through the zones one at a time. In this case, each zone or “station” is allowed up to 10 minutes of watering.

Hand watering refers to the use of a handheld bucket or similar container or a handheld hose equipped with a positive self-closing water shut-off nozzle or device.

There are a number of manufacturers of irrigation systems, and most of these sell both traditional sprinklers and low-volume systems. Below are some links to common ones:

Rainbird: Drip and Low volume

Toro: Landscape Drip, and Spray to drip conversion and drip

Hunter: Micro-irrigation

Orbit: Drip irrigation

No. WaterSense sprinkler bodies include pressure regulation, which helps decrease the overspray associated with irrigation systems that receive water under higher pressure. Although that is an important function, it does not reduce evaporation or allow the water to be delivered slowly to the root system of the plant as low-volume drip systems do.

Rotator nozzles do not generally meet the low-volume specifications. Rotator nozzles are designed to distribute water more slowly and uniformly to the landscape than traditional sprinklers. Because of this, the water from these nozzles is less likely to mist or run off onto streets and sidewalks. These nozzles are a good alternative for traditional spray sprinklers in areas that need to be watered broadly, such as ground cover. However, they are not designed to deliver water in small volumes slowly at or near the root zone of plants, and most do not meet the low volume requirements.

No. Using potable water for irrigation of non-functional grass on commercial, institutional, and industrial properties is prohibited. This includes HOA-maintained landscape areas in condominiums, townhomes, and apartment complexes. Designation of turf as functional requires an application ($250) to the City and proof that it is commonly used for civic, community, or recreational purposes.

Please refer to your water bill. For the City of Thousand Oaks water agency, the units are HCF (Hundred Cubic Feet). One HCF is approximately 748 gallons. The bill also displays the average daily usage in HCF and gallons, as well as your usage history for the past year. We encourage everyone to stay within Tier One water usage.

There are rebates available through www.bewaterwise.com for devices that you can use (some, such as the Flume device, require no plumbing) to monitor your water use in real-time and provide a breakdown by the day, hour, and even minute, helping you understand your water use.

The City of Thousand Oaks does not have designated agricultural zones; therefore, the water agency does not offer agricultural rates.

We still need to provide housing for our existing residents and workers, including the new housing mandates required by the State of California. In an effort to support the creation of new housing, the State has prioritized new housing over outdoor water use and imposed regulations to ensure the protection of water resources and encourage efficient and responsible use. The good news is that new housing units are significantly more efficient than most single-family detached houses built in Thousand Oaks years ago, as a result of new State building and water efficiency codes and smaller landscape areas.

It is highly recommended that outdoor swimming pools and spas be covered when not in use. Uncovered pools use as much water (losing it through evaporation) as lawns. Nearly all of this can be conserved by covering your pool. You will also save money on heating the pool as the cover will retain the pool’s heat.

Bubble pool covers are the most affordable pool covers and can be cut to any shape. The pool cover does not have to be one single continuous piece. Your pool can be covered with multiple smaller pieces that float on the water to cover it.

We recommend covering your pool/spa when not in use. If your pool is in use during the day, please cover it overnight after the last person has finished using the pool.

If it is not possible to physically cover the pool, you can utilize a “chemical” or “liquid pool cover”, which is not a blanket but a liquid – a mix of alcohol and calcium hydroxide that is lighter than water and floats on its surface, creating a film-like barrier that you can’t see or feel. This invisible layer holds in heat and reduces evaporation. The chemical will need to be applied on a regular basis, usually monthly. It is the HOA’s responsibility to figure out the best way for them to comply with this requirement.

Please either cover your pool at night when pets and children are indoors or utilize a “chemical pool cover” as described above.

Yes, under Level 1 conservation measures, draining and refilling your pool for purposes of fixing a leak, emergency repair, or remodel is allowed.

Yes.

No. Recirculating water is required for water fountains and running water features. Operating a water fountain or other running-water feature that does not recirculate water is prohibited.

Yes.

Yes. The Metropolitan Water District offers a rebate for removing water-intensive lawn/turf. Currently, the rebate is $2.00 per square foot, up to 5,000 square feet. There are also rebates for high-efficiency clothes washers, high-efficiency toilets, high-efficiency rotating nozzle sprinklers, and more. Rebates are subject to change and are based on availability at the time of application approval, so we recommend taking advantage of these rebates while they are still available. Click here for more information.

There are lots of good resources available for helping you convert to less water-intensive landscaping, such as California native plants. Please refer to our landscaping page for resources or the Master Gardeners of Ventura County webpage.

Enforcement of HOA landscaping requirements is not permitted during City-declared drought periods, and you have 6 months after a drought period is over to re-landscape. However, you should remove weeds and dead brush for fire resiliency.

You can report water waste by calling our hotline at (805) 375-5747, using our City service request system, or by email at gogreen@toaks.gov.

If you are unable to comply with certain measures, contact the Public Works Sustainability Division at (805) 449-7283 or gogreen@toaks.gov to discuss a possible waiver.

There is no provision for this currently. The City does not have the required permit to provide this service. There are many logistical and practical challenges to providing residents with access to treated wastewater at Hill Canyon Treatment Plant. The City’s treated non-potable water is being beneficially reused by the Camrosa Water District, which reduces overall demand on imported water and benefits the overall region.

The City receives nearly 100% of its water supply from the Calleguas Municipal Water District (Calleguas) and we are part of Metropolitan Water District (MWD) service area. Calleguas and MWD have invested over $1.5 billion in water efficiency measures, storage expansion and overall system upgrades since the 1990s. During this time, the total water demand in the region has dropped 20% even though the population has grown by almost 30%.

To reduce community and environmental impacts from droughts and emergency disruptions, the City is working with regional partners to develop a diverse water supply that includes increasing reliance on local water, improving the interconnectedness of regional supplies, and planning for growth. The City is partnering with Calleguas Municipal Water District; Las Virgenes Municipal Water District; Camrosa Water District; CalWater, and CalAm to develop innovative solutions for a resilient water supply. These efforts are described in more detail in the City’s Urban Water Management Plan, Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP), Water Master Plan and Groundwater Utilization Plan.

Desalination is a long-term option that can help supply potable water. However, desalination plants are expensive to build, have high energy costs to operate, and have significant environmental impacts including fish entrapment. It is estimated that the cost of water from desalination would be at least double that for existing imported water. You can read more here.

The City’s wastewater is treated at Hill Canyon Treatment Plant, located at the bottom of a canyon in the Santa Rosa Valley several hundred feet below the Conejo Valley. Non-potable treated water (so-called “purple pipe” water) could potentially be used for irrigation; however, the City does not have “purple pipe” infrastructure within the City and installing a second set of pipes under existing streets to distribute the water would be very expensive. In addition, the wastewater effluent is already being beneficially reused by the Camrosa Water District, which reduces overall demand on imported water and benefits the overall region.

In 2017, the City conducted a study on the potential for using sustainable groundwater management practices to replace potable water for irrigation in an effort to reduce reliance on imported water. The City found that the Conejo Valley Groundwater Basin (Basin) could sustainably supply 3,500 acre-feet per year of groundwater. However, the groundwater has high levels of total dissolved solids and iron, requiring treatment before use.In 2020, the City developed a Groundwater Management Plan in collaboration with local and regional stakeholders to document groundwater conditions for the Basin, supporting the long-term sustainable management of groundwater resources in the area and providing a template for the future development of a comprehensive Groundwater Sustainability Plan.

The City is currently working to utilize the groundwater at Los Robles Greens Golf Course. The City’s FY 2023-24 and 2024-25 capital budget included $9 million to design and construct a treatment system and wellhead improvements at the Golf Course (Groundwater Utilization Project CI5395) that are expected to support demand from the golf course, a Cal-Am customer, and potentially supplement supplies to City water customers.

In response to the 2020-2022 drought, Calleguas embarked on a regional water resource portfolio development effort to improve water supply reliability. After 18 months of interagency collaboration and comprehensive analysis, Phase One of the Water Resources Implementation Strategy has identified a preferred portfolio of projects and programs to diversify Calleguas’s water resources. The most recent update can be found here.

Calleguas also created The Calleguas Salinity Management Pipeline (SMP). This project was designed to manage the use of high salinity groundwater and treated municipal wastewater, dispose of the brine produced by enhanced water treatment, and facilitate the development of water sources otherwise unavailable due to poor water quality. The SMP consists of a pipeline system to transport brine concentrate and excess recycled water generated within the watershed to an ocean outfall. The purpose of the SMP is to facilitate the utilization of additional water sources by providing a mechanism to efficiently dispose of the concentrate generated during treatment. The SMP currently extends approximately 22 miles from its upstream end in Somis, in unincorporated Ventura County, to its downstream terminus at the ocean outfall in Port Hueneme. More information on the project here.

Calleguas has also completed construction on a critical system interconnection on Lindero Canyon Road that ties their system to the LA County System with Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, which further boosts emergency water supply and resiliency to Thousand Oaks customers. You can read about that important project here.

Additionally, interconnections are being installed to enable the sharing of water between neighboring agencies during emergencies and to provide redundancy in the event of local infrastructure failure or maintenance. In a 2009 study by the City, six potential interconnection locations with CalWater were identified, and an additional six with Cal-Am. Since the study, seven of these interconnections have been completed.

The City for many years has advocated for both federal and state legislation to support the water supply in Ventura County. More specifically, the City has supported the California WaterFix project (explainer), which would have developed greater water reliability for our region. Unfortunately, this project has gone through various iterations and has been reduced in scope due to a lack of support from farmers in the Central Valley and concerns from other stakeholders.

The City is currently under Level 1 water conservation measures, the City's permanent water conservation measures. Click here to view the City’s Water Conservation requirements.

Under Level 1 conservation measures, watering or irrigating landscape and vegetated areas with potable water is allowed up to three days per week. Currently, these days are not specified but can be designated by City Council through Resolution if necessary.

Watering landscape and vegetated areas using a sprinkler system that includes spray heads and/or bubblers, or a watering device that is not continuously attended is limited to no more than 10 minutes of watering per day per station or irrigation zone. Drip irrigation systems (including subsurface) and water-efficient devices such as rotator stream nozzles are permitted to operate for a longer period: rotator stream nozzles are permitted to run for 20 minutes, and drip systems for up to 60 minutes, provided that there is no water runoff.

Watering or irrigating landscape and vegetated areas with potable water is prohibited between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on any day, except by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container, or by use of a hand-held hose equipped with a positive self-closing water shut-off nozzle or device, or for short periods for the express purpose of adjusting or repairing an irrigation system, or for turf refurbishment on a public playing field.

Using potable water to wash or clean a vehicle, including but not limited to any automobile, truck, van, bus, motorcycle, boat, or trailer, whether motorized or not, is prohibited, except by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container or a hand-held hose equipped with a positive self-closing water shut-off nozzle or device. This subsection does not apply to any commercial car washing facility.