The Rossmoor Water Story...

Please note that as of June 26, 2022 Rossmoor is under
Stage 2 Drought Restrictions – Click here for details

Here in Rossmoor and most of western Orange County, Golden State Water Company is our water supplier.

Golden State is who delivers our water to us via the water supply lines they maintain. And they take care of all the fire hydrants here in Rossmoor, too. That’s a lot of pipes under pressure!

We will come back to the pipes and hydrants later, but for now, let’s figure out where that delicious water we get from our taps comes from.

So, where does our water come from?

Let’s take a quick look at this video to find out.

Why Are The Rules Different In Other Communities?

It’s a great question that we have heard around the neighborhood. Part of the reason is where our water comes from as explained in the video above. We are fortunate. And still, we need to conserve. This is not an issue that will go away soon – it may never go away at all. It all depends on the amount of rain (and snow) fall we get in the Serria and Rocky Mountain ranges.

If you’d like some more details on these different rules for different communities, this Metropolitan Water District of Southern California page has a great explanation.

How To Track Your Usage & Read Your Meter

Since we need to cut back our water usage, it would help to know what we are using at the present time. Since we are currently (2022) on a two-month billing cycle, waiting for the bill to come is not really practical.

Here’s a quick and easy to use PDF guide that you can download. It will help you monitor your water consumption.

For most Rossmoor residents, the water meter box is in the parkway in front of their home.

And this short Golden State video below will walk you through how to read your water meter

Watering Calculator

The Be Water Wise website has a great watering calculator to help you create your own custom landscape watering schedule with up to six zones. This is a really handy way to reprogram your water timers to comply with the current restrictions.

Remember for Rossmoor, ODD addresses can water their landscape on TUESDAY and SATURDAY and EVEN addresses can water on SUNDAY and WEDNESDAY

Water Saving Tips

Easy, actionable steps we can take today include:

Turn off your sprinklers and other irrigation systems when rain is in the weather forecast.
Prioritize watering your trees when faced with watering restrictions: Remember, trees are an investment. It will take more water, time, and money to replace a mature tree lost to drought than to keep one alive.
Replace grass with drought-resistant landscaping: Water-wise plants and landscaping use little or no water once established.
Install automatic shut-off valves for your outdoor sprinkler systems: Installing a drip irrigation system and a smart controller can save 15 gallons each time you water.

Plant water-wise plants: Check with your local water agency on the best plants for your climate. It is best to use water-wise, California-native plants where possible.
Lay mulch around your plants and yard: Laying 2–4 inches of organic mulch around your yard can keep the soil moist and reduce water use.
Additional Conservation tips can be found here.

This is a developing story…more resources and links will be added in the coming weeks.