Frequently Asked Questions

ACWD offers multiple water conservation rebate programs to help you use water efficiently indoors and outdoors. For all program information, please visit acwd.org/rebates. 

To report water waste, please call ACWD Customer Service during regular business hours at (510) 668-4200. You may also use our online reporting form.

It is important to care for trees so that they survive through drought and beyond due to the multiple benefits they provide communities, such as improved air quality.

Customers are encouraged to prioritize water for trees. Watering trees gradually but deeply will ensure they survive. Trees are most efficiently watered by hand or using a bubbler or drip irrigation system, and should be on a separate valve than the surrounding vegetation, especially if planted in a lawn area. The frequency and amount of water needed will depend on whether the tree is young and needs to be established or if it is mature, and whether it is a low, medium, or high water use species. Please add a layer of mulch around the root zone of the tree carefully avoiding the base of the trunk to lower soil temperatures and reduce the amount of water that evaporates.

 Resources with specific tips on how to care for and water your tree efficiently:

• Canopy Tree Watering Guidelines for Your Specific Type of Tree
• Canopy Tips for Caring for Young Trees 
• Canopy Tree Library for Choosing the Right Tree to Install
• ACWD Water Conservation Tips for Your Landscape
• Save Our Trees Website
• Save Our Water – Helping Your Trees Survive the Drought

ACWD prohibits irrigation runoff so we recommend using a cycle and soak method when irrigating to avoid runoff. A cycle and soak method uses shorter, more frequent cycles of irrigation in one day versus one long runtime.

To determine the time you should water for a cycle and soak method, run your irrigation system until you start to see signs of runoff (e.g. water overflowing from landscape onto sidewalk). Then, turn off your irrigation and let the landscape soak for 1 hour and repeat the process 2-3 times. Note the time it takes to begin seeing runoff – anything applied beyond this time during a single watering event is wasted. 

For an extensive list of water efficient tips and techniques for different types of landscape, check out ACWD’s Survival Tips for Your Landscape resource. See below for some key recommendations:

• Irrigate early in the morning (before 10:00 a.m.), to minimize evaporation 
• Existing irrigation systems should be evaluated and repaired to minimize leaks and evaporation and increase water use efficiency 
• Water used outdoors should be prioritized for trees 
• Use of drought tolerant plant species wherever possible when replacing or renovating existing landscapes, and at all new landscape installations 
• Use non-potable water from rainwater capture and/or graywater systems for landscape irrigation where possible (do not use in vegetable gardens or consumable plants) 
• Installation of new landscaping should utilize best known irrigation and horticultural practices for efficient water use 

We are mindful of the role climate change has played in these unprecedented periods of drought and our need to adapt to a new climate future, one in which California will experience more frequent and potentially more severe droughts. One of the first restrictions that are adopted during periods of drought are restrictions on outdoor irrigation (e.g. number of days per week  irrigation is allowed for functional lawns). You can prepare your landscape and be drought-ready by converting lawns to water-efficient landscape.

ACWD encourages customers to install water-efficient landscapes and provides a rebate to customers that replace existing lawns with this type of landscape. There are many benefits to installing water-efficient landscape rather than a new lawn:

1. Water-efficient landscapes are designed to survive dry year conditions and so you can have a thriving landscape year-round and as the climate fluctuates. 
2. Water-efficient landscape require significantly less water than a lawn and could reduce your water bill. 
3. You may be eligible to receive a rebate if you have a lawn and replace it with a water-efficient landscape. Please visit acwd.org/rebates to determine if your lawn qualifies for our water-efficient landscape rebate program or contact the Water Use Efficiency Team at 510-668-4218.

While artificial turf requires less water than a natural turf lawn, there are healthier and more ecologically sound alternatives. In addition to saving water, low water use plants and permeable landscape material meet additional sustainability goals that artificial turf and concrete do not:  

1) Artificial turf and concrete are not a living landscape and do not increase biodiversity of plant, animal, and insect populations. 

2) Artificial turf has potential environmental concerns. It is synthetic material that will have to be replaced in 10-20 years due to wear and tear, so it will eventually end up in a landfill. 

3) Artificial turf is not water free. It needs to be cleaned with water and potentially with chemicals. This raises the concern of chemical pollutants from the cleaning materials, and potentially from the artificial turf itself, polluting surface water and groundwater in the runoff.

4) Artificial turf and concrete can get significantly hotter than surrounding air temperatures and contribute to the heat island effect by increasing air temperatures in urban settings.