With Lake Cachuma 93 percent empty and the Gibraltar Reservoir 100 percent gone, the Santa Barbara City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to ban lawn watering. The new prohibition goes into effect January 1. In addition, the council adopted a resolution calling for 40 percent conservation as opposed to the 35 percent goal now in effect. In the meantime, the city’s refurbished desalination plant is scheduled to begin operation late this coming March.
For more on Tuesday’s vote, read this week’s Angry Poodle column.
Correction: Only lawn watering is banned; watering of other outdoor landscaping is still allowed. The conservation goal has been raised to 40 percent from the present 35 percent.