May 20, 2009

PASADENA CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS CHALLENGE EACH OTHER TO WATER CONSERVATION SMACKDOWN

Pasadena City Council members Margaret McAustin and Steve Madison agreed to an unusual challenge during Monday night’s meeting.

McAustin, representing the south side of the dais, and Madison on the north, will have their homes audited for the amount of water they use, be given water-savings goals to achieve, have their water use monitored by Pasadena Water and Power, and report their ongoing progress to the public.

It’s all part of an effort by the city of Pasadena to encourage residents, businesses, institutions and community-based organizations to become more dedicated to water conservation.

“We sit up here and make a lot of rules and regulations, and I think we ought to show some leadership in conservation,” McAustin said during the meeting. “If we’re going to ask our constituents to abide by these rules, we should be the first ones to set the standard, and in a public way.”

“I accept the challenge,” said Madison. “I have two young boys at home – Steven Jr., 12, and Julian, 11 – and they still have to take showers, but we’ll do our level best!”

An auditor will visit both households and perform assessments indoors based on the number of water-using appliances and the number of people in the households as well as outdoors based on the total square feet of lawns and gardens. Then water budgets will be established for each of the homes.

The first results will be posted for the public this summer, including McAustin’s and Madison’s comments about their experiences along the way.

All water users in Pasadena are encouraged to conserve in anticipation of updated regulations that will go into effect in early summer. These will include limits on the time of day lawns and gardens can be watered, prohibiting outdoor watering when it rains, no excessive water flow onto sidewalks and gutters, no washing down of paved surfaces, and other regulations.

The ordinance includes the possibility of monetary penalties that would apply equally to all water customers, including residential, commercial and institutional, including the city of Pasadena.

“Our intention is not to impose any fines, but to the extent that people waste water, staff will work with them to improve their water conservation habits,” McAustin added.

The council approved a comprehensive water conservation plan for Pasadena last month; first reading of an amended ordinance specifying the regulations was conducted during Monday night’s meeting. The second and final reading of the ordinance is scheduled June 1.

More information including the water conservation plan, proposed regulations, special rebates and updates can be found at www.cityofpasadena.net/savewater or by calling (626) 744-6970.