(A) First level of concern; voluntary reduction in water use.
(1) The City Recorder shall issue a general request for a voluntary reduction in water use by all water users. The request shall be made at a time when there is a strong indication that the city’s water supply will be reduced beyond the capacity to provide adequate service to all water customers. The request shall include a summary of the current water situation, the reason for the requested cutback in use and a warning that mandatory cutbacks will be required if the voluntary measures do not sufficiently reduce usage.
(2) The request for voluntary reduction of water shall be widely distributed to water users to assure public knowledge of the request. Local radio and television stations, as well as newspapers, shall be asked to run periodic announcements of the request. Leaflets could also be distributed either house to house, or to banks, stores, supermarkets and public buildings.
(B) Second level of concern.
(1) Regulation of sprinkling and watering. No person or customer shall sprinkle, water or irrigate any shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, ground covers, plants, vines, gardens, vegetables, flowers or any other vegetation, except as follows:
(a) Such irrigation, sprinkling and watering shall be permitted by even numbered addressed residences, commercial or industrial establishments on even-numbered days of the calendar; and
(b) Such irrigation, sprinkling and watering shall be permitted by odd numbered addressed residences, commercial or industrial establishments on odd-numbered days of the calendar.
(2) Non-essential residential water use. The following residential water uses are hereby determined to be non-essential and are prohibited:
(a) The use of water to wash any motorbike, motor vehicle, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle, except at a commercial fixed washing facility;
(b) The use of water to wash down any sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts or other hard surfaced area or building or structure;
(c) The use of water to fill, refill or add to any indoor or outdoor swimming pools or Jacuzzi pools, except for neighborhood fire control, where the pools have recycling water systems and evaporative covers, or where the use of the pool is required by a medical doctor’s prescription. Publicly-owned/operated pools may be excepted at discretion of the city; and
(d) The use of water in a fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes, except where necessary to support fish life.
(3) Non-essential commercial or industrial use. The following commercial or industrial water uses are hereby determined to be non-essential and are prohibited:
(a) The use of water to serve a customer in a restaurant unless requested by the customer;
(b) The use of water for scenic and recreational ponds and lakes, except for the minimum amount required to support fish life;
(c) The use of water from hydrants for construction purposes, fire drills or any purpose other than firefighting;
(d) The use of water by a golf course to irrigate any portion of its grounds, except those areas designated as tees and greens; and
(e) The use of water for dust control.
(4) Gutter flooding. No person or customer shall cause or permit water from the municipal source to run to waste in any gutter or drain.
(5) Regulation of application for new water service. No applications for new, additional, further expanded or increase-in-size water service connections, meter, service lines, pipeline extensions, mains of other water service facilities of any kind shall be allowed, approved or installed during the state of emergency.
(6) Discontinuance of service.
(a) The city may, after one warning by certified mail or in person by staff, disconnect the water service of any person or customer whenever it is determined that such person or customer has failed to comply with any provisions of this policy, program and regulations for emergency water use curtailment. Service so disconnected shall be restored only upon payment of a turn-on fee as established by a resolution of the City Council, or as otherwise specified by law, and any other costs incurred by the city in the discontinuance of service and the giving of suitable assurances to the city that the action causing the discontinuance will not be repeated.
(b) In addition to the foregoing, the city may, prior to restoration of service, install a flow-restrictive device on the customer’s service.
(C) Third level of concern.
(1) Prohibition on sprinkling and watering. No person or customer shall sprinkle, water or irrigate any shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, ground covers, plants, vines, gardens, vegetables, flowers or any other vegetation.
(2) Non-compliance. In the event of non-compliance with the aforementioned policies, the city may enact a resolution requiring mandatory reduction of water usage. Such resolution shall generally provide:
(a) For residential customers, the resolution shall set a maximum daily allotment for the amount of water used per resident. If a residence uses more than its allotted number of gallons per day, the resident shall have water service disconnected or be fined;
(b) An allotment for non-residential water users shall be set at 75% of the water used during the same time period of the previous year. If customer history is not available, a maximum use rate will be set for the new customer; and
(c) Along with the implementation of such a resolution, the city shall make available to the water users recommendations for water conservation and information on water conservation kits to help reduce the amount of water used.
(3) Variances.
(a) The city may, by resolution, grant temporary variances for prospective uses of water otherwise prohibited after determining that unusual circumstances or failure to grant such variances would cause an emergency condition affecting health, sanitation or fire protection of the applicant or the public.
(b) The city may ratify or revoke any such variance or adjustment at any duly called meeting. Any such variance or adjustment so ratified, may be rescinded by later action of the city.
(c) No such variance shall be retroactive or otherwise justify any violation of the curtailment policy or program occurring prior to issuance of said variance.
(Prior Code, § 3.15.030) (Ord. 179, passed 10-2-1989)