Manteca’s restriction limiting the percentage of grass allowed in front yards of new homes appears to be working in terms of keeping water use under control.

The city used 4.934 billion gallons of water in 2025.

That represents a 0.5 percent increase over 2024 water consumption of 4.893 billion gallons

Manteca’s population during the same time period increased at 2.1 percent.

Outside water use — primarily landscaping — consumes almost half of all water used in Manteca. And grass by far is the largest outdoor use for water.

The City Council decision nine years ago during a period of drought to reduce ornamental grass areas allowed in the front yards of new homes has helped cut back the water consumption of new Manteca households.

Coupled with that are options that many developers are offering for drought resistant landscaping that buyers are opting to use in front yards.

Also working in Manteca’s favor to keep a lid on water use per capita as the city grows is the growing trend toward smaller lots for new homes which reduces front yard grass areas even more.

The highlight of the City of Manteca’s 2025 water production report is that 2.194 billion gallons came from wells. That represents 44.5 percent of the water used.

The rest came from surface water obtained from the South San Joaquin Irrigation District’s rights to 300,000 acre feet of water from the Stanislaus River Basin.

Manteca is using 40 percent less ground water than they did in 2014.

The massive drop in potable ground water use is attributed to the city moving to non-potable water wells 12 years ago.

That means many parks — the single largest category of water use in the city — are being irrigated with nonportable water than is not drinkable and is pumped from shallow wells placed at parks.

Irrigating with non-potable water is also less expensive given both surface and potable well water goes through costly treatment processes before it is released into the city system.

Jurisdictions are under pressure to meet a 2045 state mandate not to pump more water from aquifers than is replenished in a given year.

A decision by Manteca to basically only tap surface water during the spring through fall months has helped winter runoff more effective replenish groundwater.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com