Wet weather allows Santa Cruz to end water rationing

Video: Santa Cruz opens water school

A bit of drought relief is in sight for one of the communities hit hardest by California’s historic dry spell.

The city of Santa Cruz announced Monday that it’s lifting mandatory water restrictions on residents, effective next week, after recent rains poured into creeks and forecasters warned of more wet weather ahead.

Santa Cruz, which relies entirely on local streams and wells for its supplies, enacted among the state’s stiffest conservation policies in May after three stubbornly dry years. Most water customers were limited to 249 gallons per household per day.

Violators have since paid more than $1.6 million in fines, according to city records.

“We just felt that our customers have shown their commitment to conserve. In return, we have to show that we’ll require mandatory rationing only when it’s absolutely necessary,” said water department spokeswoman Eileen Cross. “And it’s not absolutely necessary.”

While Cross says the department will return to rationing if need be, rainfall has so far been kind to the 175-acre Loch Lomond Reservoir, raising it to a respectable 62 percent capacity. The area’s watershed has recorded 14 inches of rain since Oct. 1, compared to the 6.7 inches it averages at this point.

Meanwhile, the San Lorenzo River and nearby streams are also running higher after the Santa Cruz Mountains received their biggest storm of the year last week, including a 24-hour period with more than 5 inches of rain.

Clara Cartwright, an environment projects analyst for the Santa Cruz water department, shows yearly rainfall totals from the past century to students during Water School at the Louden Nelson Community Center in Santa Cruz, Calif., on Monday, July 14, 2014. The city of Santa Cruz has set up water school, a class where those who have exceeded their monthly water allotments can attend to learn about the drought and have penalties on their water bill removed. It is a free, one-time class in which you will learn how to manage water at your property, read a water meter, find and fix leaks, and more. less Clara Cartwright, an environment projects analyst for the Santa Cruz water department, shows yearly rainfall totals from the past century to students during Water School at the Louden Nelson Community Center in ... more Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Wet weather allows Santa Cruz to end water rationing 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

The wet weather also means that demand for water has dropped as residents no longer need to irrigate their lawns and gardens, Cross noted.

The National Weather Service expects an even bigger wet front to hit California on Wednesday night through Thursday. As much as 8 inches of rain is expected in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander