(A) The Director of the Department of Public Utilities shall be responsible for continually monitoring the water supply, water demands, and area conditions. Based upon any one or more of the triggers established by § 54.09, the Director will notify the County Manager that water conservation measures are warranted. The Director shall be empowered to declare and implement conservation stages I and II. In instances in which declaration and implementation of stages III and IV are required, the Director shall notify the County Manager, who shall issue a proclamation declaring the implementation of a water conservation stage III or IV. The Director, or his or her designee, shall also notify all municipal and private contract water recipients, all local government agencies, and the media, to include local television and newspapers. Notifications will also be sent to HCDPU customers and will include but not be limited to the description of the conservation stage and the conservation measures enacted. The following notification methods will be used to inform HCDPU customers and employees of a water shortage declaration: employee email announcements, posted notices at strategic county buildings, notices in utility bills and on the county website. Required water shortage response measures will be communicated through public service announcements on local radio and television stations. Declaration of emergency water restrictions or water rationing will be communicated to all customers by telephone using the county’s call notification system.
(B) Once a conservation stage is declared or changed, the conservation stage shall remain in effect until lifted by the Director or in the case of stage III or IV, the County Manager. The Director shall continually monitor the conditions responsible for activation of the conservation stage, and if the trigger for a more stringent stage is met, then the Director shall be empowered to declare the more stringent stage consistent with the above paragraph. If, after 30 days, the current stage triggers have abated then the stage shall either be reduced to the appropriate stage or all conservation measures rescinded depending on conditions. This chain of command process shall be repeated whenever a change in the status of the conservation stage or conservation measures is necessary.
(C) During the effective period of any water shortage, the Department of Public Utilities is empowered to promulgate such regulations or policies as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter. The Director, or his or her duly authorized agent charged with implementation and enforcement of this chapter shall be and is hereby granted the authority to implement and enforce any of the treated water use restrictions.
(D) The Director shall have authority to implement, maintain, modify, and rescind any one or more of the conservation measures in a conservation stage and to make them applicable during various times of the month, week, or day as he or she deems appropriate to protect the public health, safety, and welfare until the Department of Public Utilities determines that the conditions requiring their imposition no longer exist.
(Ord. passed 12-3-2018)