City to launch outreach to meet
state mandated water conservation
October 10, 2014
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
The City Council got even more serious about water conservation and adopted a mandatory 20 percent cut in water use... a figure that includes the voluntary 15 percent reduction recommended by the city in February.
So although the new cutback is only an additional 5 percent, the city will get tougher in monitoring water waste - with allowances, Interim Public Works Director Brian Yanez told the council.
In addition, the new and yet to be finalized water rate study has drought rates that will make up for shrinking demand; the new rates are expected to be adopted later this year before facing a Prop. 218 protest vote.
For now, “... as I walked into the Council Chambers I noticed we have a leak,” at the entrance to City Hall, a situation he said the city and citizens alike would have 48 hours to correct.
The state mandated 20-percent cut back will be reviewed monthly and although Yanez said the city will also be screening customer water bills it will be watching for water wasters.
With California in the third year of a record drought, “The state is really coming down hard on municipalities,” but he noted Santa Paula was proactive by adopting an ordinance in 2009.
The voluntary 15 percent reduction was adopted in February.
“Do we have people running around to report violations? No,” but Yanez said city staff has been instructed to watch for water wasters and follow-up on citizen complaints.
“Education is going to be a big key in the process... I’m sure you’ve seen people watering down their driveways; they can’t do that,” or other action that creates water runoff into non-irrigated areas such as sidewalks, roads and parking lots.
There are numerous water saving tricks - from using a hose with a shutoff nozzle to wash the car to reducing landscape watering - that Yanez said will help the city meet the state goal.
“We have a slew of conservation measures,” that Yanez said would be condensed into a flyer for city utility bills.
There’s always enforcement and repeat violators can be penalized with fines up to $500, although Yanez said he did not expect such action would prove necessary.
The proposal comes after the California Water Resources Control Board adopted an emergency resolution for water reduction in July that will last well into 2015.
Yanez said the drought has drained the basin - now 5-feet away form hitting its all time low in 1990 - and a state field study is being conducted by United Water Conservation District; Santa Paula Pumpers Association has launched an enhancement study.
The city is using “About 90 percent of our allocation,” of 5,488 acre-feet of groundwater a year, he noted.
Councilman Jim Tovias asked what impact cutting usage by 20 percent would have on city coffers and how any shortfall could be made up.
Yanez said the newly crafted “drought rates” in the city’s study, not expected to be adopted until the end of the year, “Kicks the rates up... “
Councilman Martin Hernandez asked if the city would have a special water waste reporting line; when Yanez confirmed a number would be released for reporting Hernandez said, “For the sake of equity make sure everyone is fined the same... “
Yanez said it is a very “sensitive” issue and the city hopes that outreach and education will eliminate the need for enforcement action.
“We don’t want to go after people,” said Yanez, “we want them just to correct things... “
Councilman Ralph Fernandez asked for clarification of how the state would measure water cutbacks and Yanez said it would be determined by monthly city water pumping records; what the state would do if municipalities were non-compliant is not yet defined.
Mayor Rick Cook said Santa Paula’s iffy water pressure should be factored in and he lamented the state’s mandate.
“A state law requires you to enforce it,” he noted, “but they don’t tell you how to enforce it,” or provide any funds for costs incurred.
Several speakers expressed concerns that they have already reduced water consumption and other aspects of the issue.
The emergency has not reached Stage 4, “We’re not there yet,” said Yanez when more enforcement would be required.
During public comment John Wisda said the reduction is not enough and more attention should be paid to depleted aquifers and impacts to future water availability.
The drought is “So large it’s hard to grasp,” the true implications now and into the future: Wisda said the issue is “Like the glass is half-empty... but even if we drink less the glass will still go dry.”
Hernandez said the drought is not just being felt in Santa Paula and Californians are facing “dire straits... I’m asking those in denial about the drought to do better,” and take simple steps to cut water usage.
