Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
September 30, 2008
1. Top Item -
Council imposes water rationing
Willits News – 9/26/08
By Linda Willits, staff writer
Wednesday night the Willits City Council approved a resolution declaring a Phase 3 water emergency, instituting mandatory water rationing for residential and commercial users.
Citing the continuing drop in water reservoir levels and uncertainty about when the winter rains will begin, the council voted unanimously to impose restrictions. As of September 15, the reservoirs had dropped to 459 acre feet. How much water actually remains is unclear, as the two reservoirs have not been surveyed in recent memory and some siltation is likely to have occurred.
The maximum water capacity for the city reservoirs when full is 1,353 acre feet and the Willits water plant typically treats 1,230 acre feet each year.
All residential users will be limited to 250 gallons of water per occupied residence per day. This corresponds with a monthly bill for 10 units (each unit is 748 gallons).
All commercial and industrial users must reduce their use by 15 percent from the business' water usage during the same month the previous year. No user will be asked to reduce usage to less than 100 gallons per day. The city water department will assess businesses without records from the previous year and set a limit comparable to those of similar businesses.
Under Phase 3 restrictions all nonessential uses of water are prohibited. Nonessential uses include washing hard surfaced areas, washing of vehicles and refilling swimming pools or hot tubs.
Previous Phase 2 restrictions governing the watering of outdoor vegetation remain in effect.
According to the ordinance passed earlier this year, "Any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Upon conviction thereof, such person shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 30 days or by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both."
"The wasteful use of water of water shall be prohibited and the city may, at any time, refuse to furnish water and may discontinue service to any premises where the city manager or his designee find that wasteful or negligent use of water exists on any premises which affects the city's water service," also in the ordinance.
Water customers may apply for relief from Phase 3 emergency restrictions from the city manager who is authorized to grant exception permits authorizing a maximum of 400 gallons a day usage for each full time resident of a dwelling exceeding four residents or for medical conditions. #
http://www.willitsnews.com/ci_10567223
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