Washing off driveways with hoses along with other water-wasting practices could become things of the past in the eastern Conejo Valley starting next month, when the local water utility is expected to implement mandatory water conservation rules in an effort to stave off water rationing.

Las Virgenes Municipal Water District's board will meet June 24 to consider a first wave of water conservation rules as the state grapples with a drought that could lead to a permanent change in the California lifestyle.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought emergency June 4, after final measurements showed just 61 percent of average snowfall accumulated this year in the Sierra Nevada. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the wholesale supplier of water for Las Virgenes district and much of Ventura County and Southern California, is readying water allocations for the 26 cities and water districts to which it sells water.

If allocations are imposed at the wholesale level, the local district will have to consider allocating individual businesses' and homes' share of water, said Jimmie Choo, director of resource conservation and public outreach for Las Virgenes district. The district provides water and sewage service to 65,000 residents in the eastern Conejo Valley, from Westlake Village east along both sides of Highway 101 to Calabasas.

"We really believe that the greatest opportunity for new water for tomorrow is conservation now," Choo said. "A lot of the homes in this area are relatively new with high-efficiency appliances and toilets, so we are going to stress outdoor conservation."

The new regulations would go into effect July 1 and would include such common conservation practices as ending the placement of glasses of water at restaurant tables and the supplying of freshly laundered linen in hotel rooms that are occupied for more than one day by the same guests.

Can't afford to waste a drop'

Hosing down sidewalks and driveways would become illegal unless water brooms were used. The district would set up a phone number for residents to report wasteful water use. District employees would visit offenders to explain the water conservation rules.

Free water audits are being offered to show homeowners how their landscaping can thrive with less water. Rebates on water-conserving appliances are also available from the district.

"We want to give people a choice, but we need to let people know that we cannot afford to waste a drop," Choo said.

As part of a major effort to decrease water pollution in Malibu Creek, the district has been seeking customers who let water run into the street. The district has street-by-street maps showing how much water is used by each house in most of the district's subdivisions. Houses with very high water consumption have been visited by outreach workers who volunteer to install water-saving fixtures, measure how much water is wasted on lawns and gardens and help homeowners avoid water runoff.

Further west in Ventura County, water for 590,000 people is provided through the Calleguas Municipal Water District. It delivers water to city water departments and local water companies in Camarillo, Moorpark, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks and supplies about half the water used in Oxnard and Port Hueneme.

Relying on groundwater

Although Calleguas gets state water, general manager Don Kendall said cutbacks by the Metropolitan Water District won't have an immediate effect on his customers because his agency has been banking water underground for years.

"We have a large amount of groundwater storage, and in the event the drought gets worse we have some reserves that we can draw on," he said.

The City of Ventura relies on its own wells and water from the Casitas Municipal Water District, which also primarily uses well water.

Casitas General Manager Steve Wickstrum said wells in the Ventura River and upper Ojai valleys were at high levels after 24 inches of rain fell last winter to recharge the water tables. Lake Casitas is 90 percent full, he said.

No water restrictions are planned in those areas, he said.

In agricultural areas of Ventura County, "We're doing really well," said Mike Solomon, chief financial officer of the Santa Paula-based United Water Conservation District. "The nice thing about relying on groundwater is we don't have to worry about a reduction in outside supply."