(A) The City Manager or his or her designee shall monitor Mill Creek lake levels on a daily basis and shall determine when conditions warrant initiation or termination of each stage of the Plan. Public notification of the initiation or termination of drought response stages shall be by means of publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
(B) The triggering criteria described below are based on historic monthly water usage and worst case lake evaporation records.
(1) Stage 1 – Mild water shortage conditions.
(a) Requirements for initiation. Customers shall be requested to voluntarily conserve water and adhere to the prescribed restrictions on certain water uses, defined in § 52.46, when the lake level drops below the elevation 490.8 feet.
(b) Requirements for termination. Stage 1 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of seven consecutive days.
(2) Stage 2 – Moderate water shortage conditions.
(a) Requirements for initiation. Customers shall be required to comply with the requirements and restrictions on certain non-essential water uses defined in § 52.46 when the lake level drops below the elevation 489.6 feet.
(b) Requirements for termination. Stage 2 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of seven consecutive days. Upon termination of Stage 2, Stage 1 becomes operative.
(3) Stage 3 – Severe water shortage conditions.
(a) Requirements for initiation. Customers shall be required to comply with the requirements and restrictions on certain non-essential water uses for Stage 3 of the Plan when the lake level drops below elevation 488.6 feet.
(b) Requirements for termination. Stage 3 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of seven consecutive days. Upon termination of Stage 3, Stage 2 becomes operative.
(4) Stage 4 – Critical water shortage conditions.
(a) Requirements for initiation. Customers shall be required to comply with the requirements and restrictions on certain non-essential water uses for Stage 4 of the Plan when the lake level drops below the elevation 487.7 feet.
(b) Requirements for termination. Stage 4 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of seven consecutive days. Upon termination of Stage 4, Stage 3 becomes operative.
(5) Stage 5 – Emergency water shortage conditions.
(a) Requirements for initiation. Customers shall be required to comply with the requirements and restrictions for Stage 5 of the Plan when the City Manager or his or her designee determines that a water supply emergency exists based on:
1. Major water line breaks or pump or system failures occur, which cause unprecedented loss of capability to provide water service; or
2. Natural or man-made contamination of the water supply source(s).
(b) Requirements for termination. Stage 5 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of seven consecutive days.
(6) Stage 6 – Water rationing.
(a) Requirements for initiation. Customers shall be required to comply with the water allocation plan prescribed in § 52.48(F) of this subchapter and comply with the requirements and restrictions for Stage 5 of the Plan when the City Manager or his or her designee determines that the water shortage conditions threaten public health, safety and welfare.
(b) Requirements for termination. Water rationing may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of seven consecutive days.
(Ord. 2000-03, passed 2-19-2000; Ord. 2000-04, passed 3-11-2000; Ord. 2009-08, passed 3-17-2009) Penalty, see § 52.99