June 30, 2009

PROHIBITIONS ON WATER WASTE IN
PASADENA WILL TAKE EFFECT JULY 4
 

Ongoing concerns about Pasadena’s depleting water supply and an expected water shortage have prompted the city council to amend its water shortage procedures (Pasadena Municipal Code 13.10), effective July 4.

Rainfall in Pasadena has been below normal for three out of the past four years, the local groundwater supply has depleted significantly and court-ordered pumping restrictions have drastically reduced the Metropolitan Water District’s water imports from Northern California. Pasadena receives 65 percent of its supply from MWD. Beginning July 1, MWD will cut its allocation to Pasadena by 10 percent and will impose surcharges on all member cities, including Pasadena, if they do not meet water conservation targets.

The revised Pasadena ordinance takes a three-pronged approach to ensuring a more effective and meaningful response to the city’s water supply challenges: (1) Specific instances of conspicuous water waste will be prohibited permanently; (2) if the council determines that a water shortage exists, additional restrictions will also be invoked depending on which of four water shortage levels is declared; and (3) warnings and fines will enforce the permanent water waste prohibitions and any additional water shortage restrictions.

On July 4 the following permanent prohibitions on water waste will take effect:

• No watering outdoors between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. except with a hand-held container or hose with a shut-off nozzle, or for very short periods when adjusting a sprinkler system

• No watering during periods of rain

• No excessive water flow or runoff onto pavement, gutters or ditches from watering or irrigating landscapes or vegetation of any kind

• No washing down paved surfaces unless for safety or sanitation, in which case a bucket, hose with a shut-off nozzle, cleaning machine that recycles water or low-volume/high-pressure water broom must be used

• All property owners must fix leaks, breaks or malfunctions when they find them or within seven days of receiving a notice from PWP

• Fountains and water features must have re-circulating water systems

• Vehicles must be washed with hand-held buckets and/or hoses equipped with water shut-off nozzles (does not apply to commercial car washes)

• Restaurants may not serve drinking water unless by request and must use water-saving dish-wash spray valves

• No installation of non-recirculating water systems at new commercial car washes and laundries. Effective July 1, 2010, all commercial car washes must have re-circulating water systems or secure city waivers

• Hotels and motels must give guests the option to decline changing of daily bed linens and towels

• No installation of single-pass cooling systems in buildings requesting new water service.

In the event the city council declares a water shortage, they will specify the severity with a water shortage level 1 through 4. The level will indicate how many days per week outdoor watering is allowed, how soon leaks must be repaired, whether the washing of vehicles will be allowed and whether the filling of pools, ponds, fountains and other water features will be allowed.

The city council will conduct a public hearing Monday, July 13, at 6:30 p.m. to determine the existence of a Level 1 water shortage as recommended by Pasadena Water and Power staff. If a Level 1 shortage is declared, outdoor water will be permitted only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in the summer season, and only on Saturdays in the winter season. Sprinkler or plumbing system leaks, breaks and malfunctions must be repaired within 72 hours.

Warnings will be given for first offenses; subsequent violations will incur fines of $100 to $1,000. Pasadena Water and Power will work with all customers to provide educational information including a notification mailed to every customer soon after the public hearing in July.

In December 2007 the city council declared a projected water shortage and directed that all persons in Pasadena must adhere to voluntary conservation measures provided in the city’s Water Shortage Plan. In 2008 California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed that a statewide drought exists and issued an executive order to all water agencies to conserve and plan accordingly. In April of this year the city council approved Pasadena Water and Power’s Comprehensive Water Conservation Plan, a roadmap for achieving citywide water conservation targets of 10, 20 and 30 percent.

“The city and the department have been preparing citizens for a possible water shortage for more than two years,” said Phyllis E. Currie, general manager of Pasadena Water and Power. “Many of our customers have already taken actions to cut down on use, eliminate waste and take advantage of our conservation rebates and resources, and we thank them. But with MWD’s allocation cutback and long-term challenges ahead, we need everyone to make adjustments and adhere to the new ordinance.”

For more information, including water conservation tips, tools and workshops, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/savewater or call the city’s Water Shortage Hotline at (626) 744-8888.
# # #