SACRAMENTO-

Maintain the lawn, or follow drought restrictions? With the recent policy limiting landscape watering to just two days a week in Sacramento City, the city had conflicting policies.

Title 17 stated that unpaved areas setback from the roads had to be “landscaped, irrigated and maintained … all landscaping materials shall be mowed, trimmed, and/or maintained as often as necessary to prevent overgrowth and blight.”

Since the watering restrictions were put in place, the city’s “water police” have written more than 350 citations.

As the days get warmer, and the rains disappear from the forecast, the Department of Utilities wanted guidance on which ordinance they should enforce.

Thursday night, the Sacramento City Council passed a suspension of the “green grass” potion of Title 17.

“Our planning code requires that landscaping be maintained and irrigated, and living. But during a declaration of water shortage we want to make sure that people do conserve water,” Joy Patterson, the Principal Planner for Sacramento said.

Water-saving ordinances remain in effect until the city declares that a water shortage no longer exists.

Water police Write 350+ Violations After Recent Spike

Grass Looking Dry? Check Outdoor Watering Rules First

Thousands of Sacramento Homes Have No Water Meters

Sacramento Approves Cash-for-Grass Program