Submitted by The City of Lacey
Lacey water customers will follow an alternate day watering schedule for their yards and outdoor landscapes beginning Wednesday, June 1, 2016. Alternate day watering is mandatory for all Lacey water customers during the months of June, July, August, and September.
Water customers with addresses ending with an odd number (i.e., 1, 3, 5, 7, & 9) may water Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday. Addresses ending with an even number (i.e., 0, 2, 4, 6, & 8) may water on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Friday is a non-watering day for all Lacey water customers.
Scheduled watering applies to turf (grass), annual and perennial ornamental flowerbeds, vegetable gardens, and any other landscaping plant material that is regularly maintained outside of a residence or commercial building. Water used for other purposes such as pools, pressure washing, outdoor potted plants, hanging baskets, and plants inside greenhouses are not currently restricted by this policy. Lacey water customers failing to follow the alternate day watering schedule will receive a warning. Repeated violations could ultimately lead to service being discontinued.
The water policy does allow limited exemptions. For example, newly seeded lawns, newly installed landscapes, and publicly-owned facilities with active playfields may be watered more frequently. To obtain an exemption under the alternate day watering schedule, customers must contact Lacey Water Resources.
The watering policy was approved by the Lacey City Council in 2006 as an effort to reduce peak water demand during the summer. Prior to implementing the policy, in the summer months Lacey water customers used an average of 12.4 million gallons of water per day with peak days of 17 million gallons. In the summer of 2015, Lacey’s customers used about 10.7 million gallons of water per day, with a high water use day of 14.7 million gallons. The alternate day watering policy has succeeded in reducing Lacey’s peak water use days and overall summer water usage at the same time that the Lacey water utility has grown by over 20%. Lacey water customers should be proud of their efforts to conserve water.
For more information regarding the alternate day watering policy, please contact Lacey Water Resources at (360) 491-5600, or by email at WaterResources@ci.lacey.wa.us. Information is also available on the city’s website at www.ci.lacey.wa.us/odd-even.
