(a) Upon the recommendation of the Service Director, and upon five days' notice to
the public, the Mayor shall be authorized to declare a Stage 1 Water Emergency for all customers or other users of the City water system. Upon enactment of a Stage 1 Water Emergency all outdoor use of water, including but not limited to swimming pools, lawn sprinkling, fountains, from the City Water Works, by whatever means delivered or obtained, both public and private, shall be banned with the following exceptions:
(1) Maintenance of pets and livestock and irrigation for the commercial production of food.
(2) Watering by commercial nurseries at a minimum level to maintain stock and watering of gardens and trees by bucket (to the extent that other watering sources are not available or feasible).
(3) Operation of public swimming pools or pools used by health care facilities for patient care and rehabilitation.
(4) Fire hydrants for firefighting.
(5) Flushing of sewers and/or hydrants if necessary to ensure public health and safety and specifically approved by the Service Director.
(6) Make-up water for air conditioning cooling towers or refilling after draining for health protection or repair purposes and specifically approved by the Service Director.
Once enacted, a Stage 1 Water Emergency shall continue until rescinded by the Mayor.
(b) Upon the recommendation of the Service Director and with the advice and consent of Council, the Mayor shall be authorized, upon five days' notice to the public, to declare a Stage 2 Water Emergency for all customers or other users of the City water system. Upon enactment of a Stage 2 Water Emergency, in addition to all uses banned pursuant to a Stage 1 Water Emergency, the following uses of water from the City Water Works, by whatever means delivered or obtained, shall be banned:
(1) All bulk sales of water except those necessary to protect the health and safety of regular bulk water customers and in such quantities as may be specifically authorized by the Service Director.
(2) Commercial car washes.
(3) All watering by commercial nurseries or other irrigation.
(4) Public swimming pools other than pools used by health care facilities for patient care and rehabilitation.
Once enacted, a Stage 2 Water Emergency shall continue until rescinded by the Mayor.
(c) A Water Management Task Force consisting of the Service Director, the Water Superintendent, the Chairman of the Council Utility Committee, and a representative of the Chamber of Commerce Industrial Committee is hereby created. The Water Management Task Force is authorized and directed to develop a water conservation plan to reduce domestic, commercial and industrial usage of water, other than those uses otherwise banned, and to allocate water to users in the event of a Stage 2 Water Emergency.
(d) The City of Bellevue Water Department is the exclusive proprietor of a penstock for the purpose of selling bulk water. This bulk water is loaded into tanks and hauled away from a site operated and maintained by the City. Rates for water purchased in bulk are established by the City Administration (Mayor and Safety-Service Director). Procedural rules and regulations for loading of water shall be posted at the loading station. The City does not permit the development of private penstocks (those not owned and operated by the City) for the purpose of hauling water in tanks away from such penstocks, and the City shall not provide water to any such penstocks.
(Ord. 19-06. Passed 7-24-06.)