Watsonville depends on local groundwater wells for about 90% of our water. We are pumping more water from our wells than can be refilled by rainfall each year. Drought or no drought, conservation is our new way of life!

The City of Watsonville generously supports water conservation by providing free resources and incentives for both businesses and residents alike who want to help us meet our water conservation goals while saving money at the same time.

Reducing our water use when watering our lawns and landscaping will make a big difference, since outdoor watering accounts for 50% of our daily water usage. 

Please follow these guidelines to help us conserve water: 

• Limit landscape watering to 15 minutes twice a week before 9am and after 5pm. 

    
• Repair broken irrigation systems.
• Adjust sprinkler heads to prevent overspray and run-off onto sidewalks and driveways.
• It is prohibited to wash sidewalks and driveways with a hose.
• Switch to drip irrigation that emits water directly to plant roots - or water by hand.
• Mulch around the base of your plants to prevent water runoff into the streets.
• Always use a hose with a shut-off nozzle. Hoses without shut-off nozzles are prohibited.

Remember that using water in a way that it runs off onto the street is considered water wastage and is prohibited.

See the list of free resources below or visit the City's Conservation Headquarters at the Nature Center, located in the back of Ramsay Park, for more information and additional resources. 

These resources include:

• Free Water Consultation (PDF): trained staff will visit your home or business to evaluate your landscape and indoor water use. They will make specific recommendations tailored to your needs while providing incentives and rebates for modifications.
• Landscape Water Conservation Rebate: The City of Watsonville offers a $1.00 per square foot rebate for customers to replace high-water-use lawns with drought-tolerant, permeable landscaping including edible perennials. Interested customers are eligible for a replacement rebate of up to $1000 for residents and $2,000 for multi-family, commercial or institutional customers. Coupled with the State of California rebate, customers may receive up to $2 per square foot for lawn replacement.
• The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency offers a rain barrel rebate. Rebate form. (831) 722-9292
• Free Toilet Replacement: for most toilets installed prior to 1992 or marked greater than 1.6 gallons per flush, the City of Watsonville will replace your old model free of charge.
• Washing Machine Replacement Rebate (PDF

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  : $100 rebate should you purchase a new Energy Star Certified Washing Machine to replace less efficient washing machine models. 

• Plumbing Retrofit Water Conservation Certification Program: 

  Visit our Plumbing Retrofit Water Conservation Certification Program page to learn about the requirements when selling/buying a home