Beginning Monday, August 31, Stage 2 of the City’s Water Conservation Ordinance will go into effect. The WCO pertains to all property owners who are City of North Bend water customers.
What to do during Stage 2
- Water landscaping three times per week rather than each day. The volume of watering users choose for their irrigation is not affected by the WCO.
- Water between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. when less evaporation occurs.
- Landscape and pasture irrigation, except drip irrigation, is limited to a maximum of three days per week based on the following odd-even schedule:
- Customers with odd street addresses can irrigate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
- Customers with even street addresses can water on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
- No watering on Mondays.
- While hand and manual watering follow the same odd/even house number schedule, it may be done at any time during the day.
- There will be no washing of streets, parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, buildings or other hardscape surfaces, except as necessary for health, sanitation or fire protection purposes.
- Water will only be served upon request at restaurants.
If you have a drip irrigation system that is your sole source of watering, you are exempt from the WCO.
Why practice water conservation in the Snoqualmie Valley?
The Snoqualmie River, unlike many major rivers in Washington State, is not dammed. As a result, river flows vary widely throughout the year, running very high during winter storms and sometimes quite low in early fall. Water conservation measures help keep the river healthy and are supplemented through water mitigation.
By reducing water use during this peak time of the season, less mitigation water is needed for the Snoqualmie River, protecting the river’s natural health and saving customers money on their bills.
The city moves from Stage 1 to Stage 2 when the water elevation at Masonry Pool reaches 1,523 feet. Masonry Pool is a reservoir in the Cedar River Watershed managed by Seattle Public Utilities.
Resources and more information about local water conservation:
Efficient water use remains a key part of North Bend’s overall water management.
[Information provided by the City of North Bend]
