Water Resources
Redwood City provides water services to over 24,000 customers in Redwood City and portions of San Carlos, Woodside, and Unincorporated San Mateo County. Our goal is to provide our community with a safe and reliable drinking water supply while also striving to enhance water conservation and efficiency to reduce demand and increase resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Sustainable Resource Management
Managing Our Most Precious Resource
Water is essential. With climate change causing more extreme weather patterns and droughts, water supplies are becoming increasingly scarce. Proper water management, conservation, and innovation ensure we can meet the needs of both current and future generations while protecting the environment. Redwood City Public Works Services safeguards clean drinking water from contaminants and makes water conservation easier for residents and businesses with outreach, programs, and rebates.
Planning for the Future
Did you know that Redwood City residents use an average of 56 gallons of indoor and outdoor water per person, per day (GPCD)? Compared to the California statewide average of 59 GPCD and the nationwide U.S. average of 82 GPCD, our residents are on the right track for water conservation. The City works to keep the community moving in the right direction with the Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP), a plan for long-range water sustainability for the City’s 23,974 water connections
Water Conservation
Saving Water, Saving Money
Redwood City is dedicated to making water conservation easy, affordable, and manageable for all residents and businesses. To that end, the City offers several rebates and programs, including:
- Rebates for smart, efficient landscaping and irrigation equipment
- Rebates for converting grass lawns to drought-resistant landscaping
- Free upgrades for smart water meters and monitors
- Free technical assistance to assess water use and conserve
- Rebates for rain barrels
- Free home water conservation kits with efficient shower heads and faucet aerators
Recycled Water
The Recycled Water Program
Recycled water is treated wastewater that’s safe for non-drinking uses such as irrigation, toilet flushing, and industrial cooling. To help conserve water resources and prepare for a more sustainable future, Redwood City launched a recycled water program in 2007. Since then, the program has saved hundreds of millions of gallons of potable water and now serves over 450 sites, including major employers like Oracle, Stanford, and Kaiser.
Commercial customers can apply to use recycled water for approved projects and Redwood City residents can access it through a self-service filling station. This program makes it easier for the community to support water conservation efforts and reduce demand on our water supply.
What You Can Do
Take the Plunge and Conserve Water
Use City resources and save water indoors and outdoors.