At its July 15 meeting, the State Water Resource Control Board adopted emergency regulations to curtail wasteful use of water outdoors where those in violation in urban areas could be fined up to $500 each day during the drought.
Prohibitions include washing vehicles without a nozzle on the hose; watering of hardscapes, such as driveways, sidewalks, and asphalt; and using potable water without recirculation pumps for fountains and other decorative water fixtures.
While these regulations were aimed at large urban suppliers, even small water districts are subject to them, according to Kathie A. Smith, SWRCB public information officer.
In the staff briefing to the board, Max Gomberg said, “For smaller water systems, they’ll be expected to implement mandatory outdoor irrigation restrictions and limit outdoor irrigation to no more than two days per week. Or implement other mandatory conservation measures to achieve a comparable reduction in water consumption relative to the amount consumed in 2013.”
