Water Use Allocation Program

~ The Old Way of Allocating Water During a Drought ~
During the last drought in 1988-1993, Redwood City customers were asked to reduce their water consumption based on a percentage of the amount of water they had used in a previous "Base Year" (1987). This method did NOT consider any changes in the household or cared for those customers who had conserved water as a matter of practice, resulting in hardship for those who conserved and rewarding those who used water inefficiently.

~ The New Fair and Equitable Way of Allocating Water ~
In contrast to the "Old Way," the new Water Use Allocation Program takes into account individual customer needs, such as the number of people in the household, the size and type of landscape, size of swimming pool, and any special needs for water.

The program will determine the amount of water each customer needs under NORMAL conditions to maintain their household. During a drought, the water allocation reductions will be based on the type of use, so for example, if there was a need to cut back the city's use by 20%, the allocation reduction for all customers could be: 10% for the home residents, 40% for the lawn areas, 30% for other type of landscape and 40% for swimming pools.

~ Information Needed for the Allocation Program ~
We are asking that you take some time to accurately complete the Water Use Allocation Survey. All we need from you is to tell us how many people live in your household, the square footage of your lawn, landscaping, and pool, and any special water needs you may have.

You can either print and fill out the survey from this web site, or request a survey form and we'll mail it to you. The information in the survey is confidential and will be used solely by Redwood City to produce a water target allocation for your household. The water target allocation will appear on your future water bills as your Voluntary Water Target, and will not affect your water rates.

Water Target Allocations will serve only as a guideline for using water wisely during normal rainfall years, but they will help us provide a FAIR AND EQUITABLE way to manage water consumption during water shortages.

~ What Happens If I Do Not Respond? ~
If you choose not to respond, or we do not hear from you, we will automatically give you a Standard Water Allocation, which assumes two residents in the household, 100 square feet of lawn, 250 square feet of other landscape, no swimming pool, and no special needs.