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County Ordinance
for Water Conservation
The County of
Santa Cruz adopted a water conservation policy and ordinance in 2003 to
help preserve the county water resources.
Our goal is to reduce water consumption through the installation of
water conserving fixtures. The
ordinance requires that the sellers of all residential, commercial, and
industrial buildings, prior to a change in ownership, certify that the
structure(s) have low water use plumbing fixtures in place.
The county ordinance requires all showerheads have a maximum flow
rate of two and one-half (2.5) gallons per minute and all toilets use no
more than one and six-tenths (1.6) gallons per flush.
All parcels
located in the unincorporated portions of the county, whether they are
served by an individual well, small water system, or larger water
district, are affected by this ordinance.
That means the seller must complete the ‘Seller Certification
Form’ and return it to Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Services.
Also, a seller disclosure form must be completed at the time of
escrow. Parcels located
within the city limits of Capitola, Scotts Valley, Watsonville, and Santa
Cruz, or within the water service area of the City of Santa Cruz Water
Department are exempt from the county ordinance. However, the owners of
those parcels must comply with the water conservation requirements of
those jurisdictions. Sellers
of mobile homes need to fill out a certificate only if they own and are
selling the land on which the mobile home resides.
The installation
of water conserving devices before the resale of property would result not
only in the substantial cumulative conservation of water and energy but,
also reduce the burdens on septic and sewer systems.
Such water saving devices can be installed at a nominal cost yet
will save substantial amounts of water and energy over the lifetime of the
fixtures
We all share the
same water resources in our county. Reaching
the goal of retrofitting all the inefficient plumbing fixtures in this
county will save millions of gallons of water each year.
In addition, the reduced water demand will help restore balance to
the natural systems from which the water is taken.
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If your parcel
number starts with one of the following 3-digit sequences, you are not
subject to the County Water Conservation Retrofit on Resale Program
requirements. However, you
will be required to comply with the water conservation requirements of the
corresponding city.
CITY
OF CAPITOLA:
034 through 036
(034, 035, & 036)
CITY
OF SCOTTS VALLEY:
021 through 024
(021, 022, 023, & 024)
CITY
OF WATSONVILLE:
014 through 019
(014, 015, 016, 017, 018, & 019)
CITY
OF SANTA CRUZ:
001 through 011
(001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, & 011)
CITY
OF S. CR. SERVICE AREA: 025,
026, 027, 028, 029, 031, 032, 060,
Frequently Asked Questions (PDF file)
Seller Certification form (PDF file)
Santa Cruz County Code, Chapter 7.69
As part of the County’s Water Conservation campaign, the following are
some tips to help you save water: Inside and Outside your home.
Water Conservation Programs in other jurisdictions within Santa Cruz County:
Santa Cruz County Water Advisory Commission:
Rebate Programs:
Links:
Maximum Performance (MaP) Testing of Popular Toilet Models
Water Saving Tips for the local area!
Local Major Water Purveyors:
City of Santa Cruz Water Department
Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency
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