SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California water regulators have voted to approve fines up to $500 a day for residents who waste water on lawns, landscaping and car washing.
The action Tuesday by the State Water Quality Control Board came after its own survey showed conservation measures to date have failed to achieve the 20 percent reduction in water use sought by Gov. Jerry Brown.
Survey results released before the 4-0 vote showed water consumption throughout California had actually risen by 1 percent this past May compared to the same month in previous years.
The fines will apply only to wasteful outdoor watering, including hosing down hard surfaces such as sidewalks and driveways.
The rules include exemptions for public health and safety, such as allowing cities to power-wash sidewalks to get rid of human waste left by homeless people.
Cities and water districts also will have wide latitude to implement the fines as they wish starting in early August.
The new survey presented before Tuesday’s vote, corrected survey results released just a month ago that said water usage statewide had declined by 5 percent.
Board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus said the new usage figures underscored the need for action.
“Not everybody in California understands how bad this drought is ... and how bad it could be,” she said. “There are communities in danger of running out of water all over the state.”
The increase noted in the new report is attributable to two regions of the state: Southern California coastal communities and the far northeastern slice of the state.
Marcus said the board will consider other steps if the $500-a-day fines don’t work. Those could include requiring water districts to stop leaks in their pipes, which account for an estimated 10 percent of water use, stricter landscape restrictions and encouraging water agencies to boost rates for consumers who use more than their share of water.
No region of California met Brown’s request for a 20 percent reduction, but some came closer than others. Communities that draw from the Sacramento River reduced consumption the most, by 13 percent, while those along the North Coast reduced consumption by 12 percent.
San Francisco Bay Area cities and Southern California cities that draw from the Colorado River decreased water use by 5 percent.
The California Department of Water Resources estimates that cities and suburbs use about 20 percent of the state’s water, with about half going outdoors. Agriculture is by far the greatest water user, accounting for 75 percent of consumption in the state.
California farmers are just as guilty of using too much water as their urban neighbors, according to a separate report released Tuesday.
The study by the University of California, Davis found farmers could see their wells run dry next year unless the state sees a wet winter.
California is the only Western state that does not measure groundwater use.
The outdoor water rules being considered Tuesday by the state board would prohibit the watering of landscaping. Hosing down sidewalks, driveways and other hard surfaces would be banned along with washing vehicles without a shut-off nozzle.
Violations would be infractions punishable by the fines, although most cities are likely to have a sliding scale that starts with a warning and increases for repeat violations.
It estimates that the proposed restrictions could save enough water statewide to supply more than 3.5 million people for a year.
Officials in some cities, including San Francisco, worry about the prohibition on washing streets and sidewalks.
Marcus, the chairwoman, said the board will try to adjust its regulation to allow for the judicious use of power-washing, after industry representatives said it is efficient and necessary for everything from erasing graffiti to preparing homes for repainting.
“Our intention in this first round was to do what was reasonable and easier to do,” she said.
