Even at highest stage of water conservation, San Jose Water considers watering playing fields reasonable use of water.

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1700+ Los Gatos children currently get to passively and actively recreate on nature for two recess periods per schoolday on LGUSD's elementary schools play fields.  More than half these children may be about to lose this privilege.


San Jose Water's latest Water Shortage Contingency Plan (a document titled "Schedule No. 14.1 Water Shortage Contingency Plan with Staged Mandatory Reductions and Drought Surcharges") has 5 stages of water conservation that include mandatory restrictions regarding water use. Failure to comply with the restrictions of a given stage is deemed a wasteful and unreasonable use of water. The 5 stages are:

  1. Conservation and outreach
  2. Water reduction needed
  3. Severe water reduction (<--- This is where Los Gatos is as of 12/5/21.)
  4. Critical water reduction
  5. Emergency water reduction
Even at the highest stage of water conservation, "Emergency water reduction" (stage 5), when San Jose Water prohibits water or irrigation of lawn, landscape, or other vegetated area with potable water (i.e. drinking water), it EXEMPTS school grounds and landscapes within active public parks and playing fields.