With the entire region of Southern California facing drought conditions, the city will start requiring residents and some businesses to change the way they use water effective June 1. The new water regulations come as the city prepares for less water coming from the city’s two main suppliers, the San Diego County Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District, city officials said. The cuts translate into an estimated 10 percent reduction to the city’s water supplies, according to Bill Harris, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office. While impending regulations, including only watering lawns between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m., may take some water users by surprise, others are already in the habit of conserving, which has helped the city save water, city officials said. “[Watering between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.] is just a smart practice anyway, to prevent waste,” said Luke Sandri, manager of Green Garden Nursery at 4910 Cass St. “Everybody seems to be aware of it.” Businesses like Green Garden Nursery and Coastal Sage Gardening in Ocean Beach have been tweaking their business practices to deal with drought conditions for a while. The city won’t hinder their consumption. The new regulations won’t affect them as much as residential and other users who will only be allowed to irrigate on specific days, for 10 minutes at a time per watering station. Each sprinkler head on an irrigation system can water for 10 minutes. “As long as sprinklers don’t overlap [areas] because we don’t want people over-watering,” Harris said. Decorative fountains must have a recirculating pump. According to the city’s Level 2 Drought Alert webpage: • Homes with odd-numbered addresses can water Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. • Homes with even-numbered addresses can water Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. • Apartments, condominiums and businesses can water Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Violators and heavy water users can be fined from $250 to more than $1,000 for reported violations. The city will hire another 10 code compliance officers, Harris said. Violations will be complaint-driven. A full list of the regulations can be found at www.sandiego.gov. The city is also asking nurseries and other heavy water users, like golf courses, to use efficient irrigation systems. Because it’s part of its business, the city is not mandating nurseries and golf courses to cut their water use. Sandri said that in addition to self-adjusting irrigation systems that can detect moisture conditions, customers are also switching to more drought-resistant plants. There is also a trend toward growing vegetables at home. John Noble, owner of Coastal Sage Gardening at 3685 Voltaire St., said the new drought regulations changes the nature of the gardening and landscaping industry. “I think most nurseries are going to be focusing more on the drought-tolerant plants this year,” Noble said. Water-storing succulents, shrubs and other native plants are part of the trend in this new water era, where scarcity is the norm. Because of the expected cuts to water supplies, Harris said that moving to a level 2 drought alert compels residents to change their water-using habits instead of mandating water allocations. The city will formulate a plan for water allocations should one be needed, he said. Harris said these regulations shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. “Mayor [Jerry Sanders] has been asking everyone to fundamentally change the way they think about and use water for more than two years now,” Harris said. “He’s been telling people: ‘You gotta get ready. You gotta be prepared. You have to know it’s coming.’” To help curb water usage, every drop counts, and it’s the small activities that make a difference. For example, Sanders no longer shaves in the shower to save water, according to Harris. To help spread the word about the new water regulations, the city’s Water Department will host public meetings throughout the city. The next meeting in District 2 takes place on Wednesday, May 27 at 6 p.m. at the Point Loma/Hervey branch Library, 3701 Voltaire St.