The State Water Resources Control Board has extended emergency drought regulations for statewide mandatory water conservation in response to California’s ongoing historic drought. The new regulations will remain in effect until December 2015 unless extended by the State Water Board.
These state regulations require that each urban water supplier implement all requirements and actions of the stage of its water shortage contingency plan that imposes mandatory restrictions on outdoor irrigation of ornamental landscapes or turf with potable water.
In response to the first round of State Water Board regulations, the City of Susanville implemented Stage II of the City of Susanville Water Shortage Contingency Plan in August 2014. This required that all residential and commercial customers water at night and for only three days per week.
In April 2015, Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order to reduce statewide water use in cities and communities by 25 percent from 2013 levels. The State Water Board is expected to formally adopt additional regulations next week. The board’s most recent proposal, released last week, calls for water use reduction by as much as 36 percent in some communities.
“We have not seen a significant drop in spring production here in Susanville. However, as we move into the summer months and California’s drought presses on, it’s important that the City of Susanville and its customers continue to make water use reduction a priority,” said City of Susanville, Public Works Director, Dan Newton.
Prohibited Water Use
Currently, all Californians are prohibited from:
- Washing down sidewalks and driveways
- Watering outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes excess runoff
- Washing a motor vehicle with a hose, unless the hose is fitted with a shut-off nozzle
- Operating a fountain or decorative water feature, unless the water is part of a recirculating system
- Irrigating turf or ornamental landscapes during and 48 hours following measurable precipitation
- Restaurants and other food service establishments can only serve water to customers on request
- Operators of hotels and motels must provide guests with the option of choosing not to have towels and linens laundered daily and prominently display notice of this option.
According to State Water Board regulations, the City of Susanville can fine property owners up to $500 a day for failure to implement conservation requirements and the State Water Board can issue cease and desist orders against water agencies, like the City, that do not impose mandatory conservation measures upon their customers. Water agencies that violate cease and desist orders are subject to civil liability of up to $10,000 a day.
“The City of Susanville is committed to working together with the community to conserve water and aims to keep customers informed of the rapidly changing state regulations,” explained Newton in a press release issued Friday.
For more information, please visit susanvillepublicworks.org.
