Our watershed continues to experience historically low levels in our local reservoirs, Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino. As of December 13, 2021, Sonoma Water is reporting storage in Lake Sonoma at 49.3% and Lake Mendocino at 37% of target water supply. Since December 13, 2021, Santa Rosa has received 15.77 inches of rain, but additional and significant rainfall is needed to replenish local reservoirs. On average, Santa Rosa receives 34 inches of rain each year.     

As the drought persists, it is important that the community continue to keep saving water. During the month of November, Santa Rosa achieved a 35% savings in water use when compared to November 2020. Cumulatively, for the months of July through November, Santa Rosa’s community-wide water savings is 23%, exceeding the 20% water savings target. Thank you for doing your part to save water.

To continue to achieve the required conservation savings, it is essential for all customers to turn off their irrigation systems and focus on saving water indoors. This means taking shorter showers, washing only full loads of dishes and laundry, and turning off the tap when brushing teeth. Customers interested in making long-term investments in water savings are encouraged to replace inefficient appliances and fixtures with WaterSense labeled products. 

Despite the rain, drought is still impacting our region’s water supply and until our local reservoirs recover, it is critical that we continue to save water now.