Now, you can water your lawn any day you want in Santee.
That's because the Padre Dam Municipal Water District just moved out of a Level Two Drought Watch to Level One, meaning there is no limit on the number of watering days per week.
"It relaxes the water use restrictions; allows homeowners to use more water," Padre Dam Water District General Manager Allen Carlisle said.
There are state mandated water restrictions throughout California, even though Allen Carlisle says some weren't necessary.
"Sacramento really doesn't understand our local needs and our specific siuation," Carlisle said.
San Diego County is better off than many other California counties because of arrangements over Colorado River water and the new desalinization plant.
Carlisle said because of that, local agencies should be allowed to determine the best route for their customers.
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"We had sufficient supplies to meet our demand here in San Diego," he said..
But while Padre Dam Water District customers will be able to water any day of the week, they still have to follow a variety of drought rules rules such as not rinsing off your driveway, not watering after a rain and not using a hose without an automatic shut-off.
But will allowing customers to water their lawns and gardens more than two days a week cause water use to go way up?
"We don't believe so. We believe people understand that we live in a new era where water conservation is a way of life," Carlisle said.
