(A) Minimum standards. The following minimum standards are considered the foundation to "best practices of water use".
(1) Increase public awareness of the water supply situation and provide educational materials about best practices of water use.
(2) Encourage the entire community to conserve water wherever possible.
(3) No eating establishment, restaurant, hotel, café, cafeteria, and the like, shall serve drinking water unless expressly requested by a patron; and all will display notice of this policy.
(4) Hotels will provide notice of declared water conservation program and encourage conservation practices.
(5) City facilities will be limited to the following irrigation schedule:
(a) Three days a week for facilities using a potable water source,
(b) Every other day for facilities using TFCC shares through a pressure irrigation (PI) system.
(6) Vehicles will be washed only on a scheduled irrigation day,
(7) When using a city potable water source, landscape irrigation is restricted to the following schedule:
(a) Even-numbered addresses: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday;
(b) Odd-numbered addresses: Wednesday, Friday, Sunday;
(c) Premises with no street address, such as a median: Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
(8) When using a city potable water source, watering will only be allowed on appropriate irrigation days before 8:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m.
(9) Outdoor landscape watering with a drip irrigation system or handheld container is allowed at any time.
(10) All irrigation systems must be maintained in a manner that promotes efficient watering and limits leaks or damage to the system that would allow flow of water beyond property lines.
(11) When using TFCC shares through a pressure irrigation system, landscape irrigation is restricted to the following schedule:
(a) Even-numbered addresses: Irrigate on even calendar days;
(b) Odd-numbered addresses: Irrigate on odd calendar days;
(c) Premises with no street address, such as a median: Irrigate every other day.
(B) Additional stage 1 through 3 restrictions. When deemed appropriate based on engineering evaluation of projected supply and demand of the city’s potable water sources, the Mayor may move to additional restrictions for use of the city’s potable water supply as outlined in stages 1 through 3.
(1) Stage 1.
(a) No water customer shall apply water to impervious surfaces such as streets, sidewalks, patios, decks, and the like.
(b) Landscape irrigation two days per week on designated days.
1. City facilities are restricted to two days a week.
2. Even-numbered addresses: Tuesday, Saturday.
3. Odd-numbered addresses: Wednesday, Sunday.
4. Premises with no street address, such as a median: Monday, Friday.
(2) Stage 2.
(a) No water customer shall apply water to impervious surfaces such as streets, sidewalks, patios, decks, and the like.
(b) Landscape irrigation one day per week on designated days.
1. City facilities are restricted to one day a week.
2. Even-numbered addresses: Tuesday.
3. Odd-numbered addresses: Friday.
4. Premises with no street address, such as a median: Monday.
(3) Stage 3.
(a) No water customer shall apply water to impervious surfaces such as streets, sidewalks, patios, decks, and the like.
(b) Indoor use may be reduced by a percentage to be determined by Mayor.
(c) Landscape irrigation two days per month on designated days.
1. City facilities are restricted to one day a week during the first and third weeks of the month.
2. Even-numbered addresses: Second and fourth Tuesday.
3. Odd-numbered addresses: First and third Friday.
4. Premises with no street address, such as a median: Second and fourth Monday.
(C) Additional restrictions. Based upon evaluations of the expected yield of the city's potable water supply and projected demands, the Mayor may impose additional restrictions on the use of the city's potable water supply during any stage up to and including, but not limited to, any of the following.
(1) No additional water connections to the system allowed; moratorium on building permits.
(2) Outdoor watering prohibited, except for large trees with trunks of at least six inches in diameter.
(3) Operation of water features prohibited.
(4) Filling or refilling of water features, pools or ponds prohibited.
(D) Duration Of restrictions. Regular evaluations of the expected yield and projected demands to determine whether it is necessary to continue the water use restrictions. If water supply conditions warrant, restrictions may be either downgraded or withdrawn, subject to approval by the Mayor.
(E) Exceptions. Water customers may use water essential to protect the general public health, safety or welfare.
(F) Violations and fines.
(1) Water customer’s premises. Each water customer shall be responsible for compliance with this section with respect to the water customer’s premises, and shall be responsible for applicable fines for noncompliance with this section. In the event of an alleged violation of this section, proof of the existence of a declared water shortage and proof of any violation of any restriction set forth in this section, together with proof that the violation originated at any water customer's premises, shall constitute a rebuttable presumption that the water customer is responsible for the violation.
(2) Fines through stage 2.
(a) First violation: Written warning.
(b) Second violation: Written notice and add a $40 fine to the water bill for the premises.
(c) Third violation: Written notice and add an $80 fine to the water bill for the premises.
(d) Fourth and subsequent violations: Written notice and add a $120 fine to the water bill for the premises.
(3) Fines through stage 3.
(a) First violation: Written notice and add a $80 fine to the water bill for the premises.
(b) Second violation: Written notice and add an $160 fine to the water bill for the premises.
(c) Third and subsequent violations: Written notice and add a $240 fine to the water bill for the premises.
(4) Fine assessed. Any fine assessed shall be added to the customer's water bill.
(5) Appeal. Any appeal of a fine imposed may be appealed within 15 days of the billing date through the City Administrator. Any decision of the City Administrator may be appealed to the City Council within 15 days of the decision. Appeals must be in writing and addressed to the Utility Billing Department.
(6) Notice. Written warning or notice shall be delivered in person to the customer's premises by leaving it with a person at the premises or posted on the front door if no one is present to accept it.
(Ord. 22-10, passed 6-12-22)