Nevada City is tweaking its water conservation efforts. The City Council has passed a resolution that advances their shortage up to a Stage 3. Mayor Terri Andersen says it further reduces watering hours, or from 8pm to 9am. Use reductions are also now in line with the state’s 25-percent mandate, from the previous 20-percent. But she says the resolution mostly just continues what the city has been doing since last year, including reducing watering days from three to two…

click to listen to Mayor Anderson

One other notable change is that the city is now “encouraging”, although not “requiring”, a 35-percent reduction through February which, Andersen, admits will be difficult…

click to listen to Mayor Anderson

The 35-percent goal is also closer to the state’s 36-percent mandatory cutback, imposed last month, on the county’s largest provider… the Nevada Irrigation District. Nevada City does not face possible state sanctions for not reaching conservation mandates, because it does not serve at least 35-hundred customers, just like Grass Valley.