Today is June 1, 2015 which is also day one of mandatory water restrictions for California. These will remain in place for 270 days. Why 270 days? I really don't know. We've finally been told what the real requirements are going to be. I'll write about them just to show how each water district is adopting different rules just because I find this stuff interesting. Before I do that, lets look at a short video of baby goats jumping on a trampoline.
We learned the State Water Resources Control Board created 9 different tiers of water use by municipalities. Local agencies can fine property owners up to $500 a day for failing to implement conservation requirements and the State Water Board can issue cease-and-desist orders against water agencies that don’t impose mandatory conservation measures on retail customers. Water agencies that violate cease-and-desist orders are subject to civil liability of up to $10,000 a day.
Locally the town of Chico finds itself in Tier 8. Chico's residents use on average 210 gallons of water per day. Paradise finds itself in Tier 9, the highest water use tier, since residents here use 241 gallons of water per day. In both towns there are homes, businesses, farms and orchards. They simply average all water used within a district regardless of how or by whom it's used. Any town with a small population where there is also agriculture will obviously appear to be populated by a bunch of water hogs. Tier 8 towns must use 32% less water and tier 9 towns must use 36% less water compared to amounts used in 2013.
Cal Water (the water company for Chico and Oroville) met with Chico residents to let them know how it's going to go down. BTW, Chico used 16% less water last year compared to 2013.
1) Lawns can be watered three days a week. Those days are different if you have an address with an odd or even number.
2) No watering between 8 AM and 6 PM unless you have a drip system. New homes must have a drip system installed.
3) Water can't flow onto driveways, sidewalks or streets.
4) Fountains must recirculate water. No watering or refilling lakes or ponds.
5) Washing vehicles is only allowed if you can turn off the water at the nozzle itself.
Penalties go like this: 1st time gets you a written warning, 2nd time gets you a $50 fine, third time gets you a $100 fine, fourth time gets you a water restriction device installed; fifth time gets your water turned off for good.
Questions arose: 1) How do you know how much water you use if you don't have a water meter? 2) A man lives in an apartment but his landlord comes over and waters the yard like crazy which shows up as water consumed by renters. What can be done? 3) What if you moved into a new home after the stats were made for 2013? 4) What if you have already really conserved?
Cal Water really didn't have answers to these questions specifically but did state they consider 4,488 gallons of water usage each month to be the rock bottom threshold wherein water restrictions kick in. That is equal to using 149.6 gallons of water per day. (This really doesn't seem like it would be too hard to do.)
Will water rates go up? Yes they will for everyone because Cal Water's fixed costs don't change and they also won't allow their profits to drop. If people use less water the price of water must also go up in direct proportion.
But I live in Paradise. Things are different here. Paradise Irrigation District controls water here. It turns out that only 20% of Paradise residents use 47% of all the water (wtf?). Those 20% use a whopping 319 gallons of water per day on average! PID has decided on a different deal than Cal Water. Those 20% of water hogs must cut their use by 50% (159.5 gallons per day average). PID also recognizes those who have conserved. Those who use 3,742 gallons or less water per month (124.7 gallons per day) won't have further cutbacks. Agricultural users (orchards, farms and Christmas tree farms) will be asked to use 20% less water. Paradise used 27% less water in 2014 compared to 2013.
PID hasn't decided what penalties to adopt yet but will do so later in June. In the mean time those that don't comply with the new regulations will be turned over to the Butte County District Attorney for prosecution. Well that's what they say anyway.
What ya want to kibitz about tonight?
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Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate. Readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.
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