South Bay water agencies roll out incentives to get residents to ditch lawns, fight drought

SANTA CLARA COUNTY residents are being asked to reduce water usage and local water authorities are offering incentives to help homeowners and businesses achieve this goal.

In mid-May, Valley Water officials said county residents are going in the wrong direction in their use of water. Valley Water reported residents reduced water by 15 percent last October and November, but then went the other direction and increased water usage by a 30 percent during March. To curb the problem, Valley Water’s board of directors voted in April to restrict outdoor watering to two days a week. The San Jose City Council voted in May to require new developments to install drought-tolerant landscapes.