California Drought: Folsom Rolls Out Rebates, Water Conservation Plan

Last year, Folsom's 62,000 water customers reduced use 21 percent.

Now, under new California Water Resources Control Board conservation regulations, Folsom is required to reduce water use by a total of 32 percent from the 2013 water consumption rate. 

"There's no magic to any of this, it's hard work and it will require varied efforts in order to get there,” said Evert Palmer, Folsom City Manager. 

Palmer said among other changes, by June 1, 2015, Folsom will: 

• Reduce watering in city parks by 30 percent
• Remove about 1.5 acres of turf from city median strips
• Upgrade city facilities, including city hall, with drip-irrigation systems
• Prohibit new homes and buildings from irrigating with potable water unless efficient drip irrigation systems are used

"We are rolling things out as quickly as we can knowing that in circumstances that the drought has created here, time is of the essence,” said Palmer. 

Starting May 13, Folsom will offer customers rebates to replace lawns and to upgrade irrigation systems.

There are also rebates for high-efficiency toilets, appliances, such as clothes washers, and hot water re-circulating systems. 

"We're putting the rebates out there and hoping that they're going to be successful,” said Palmer. “We really hope to capture the public's interest in doing these and anything else that they can do to, to conserve water."