Calif. considering new drought restrictions
By Fenit Nirappil, AP
As the California drought drags on, water officials are considering expanding mandatory outdoor water restrictions on homeowners and adding new limits on restaurants, hotels and decorative fountains.
At an informational meeting Tuesday, the State Water Resources Control Board also appeared ready to extend existing rules imposed last summer to boost water supplies.
That would mean Californians still won’t be able to wash cars with hoses that don’t shut off and must limit watering their lawns.
The emergency regulations also authorized agencies to fine water wasters up to $500 a day, though such stringent enforcement has been rare.
Possible new rules under consideration include a ban on running outdoor water fountains and prohibiting lawn watering during cold and rainy periods.
“The key is to get away from very light mandatory restrictions,” said Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the board.
Other ideas presented Tuesday targeted businesses such as requiring restaurants to only serve water on request and telling hotels not to automatically provide guests with fresh towels and sheets every day. Some cities have similar rules already in place.
The board has considered making some water restrictions permanent with the prospect of future droughts looming.
“We definitely need permanent regulations,” said Frances Spivy-Weber, the board vice-chairwoman. “I just don’t see how we can enter the next 30 years with climate change without them.”
The board has the power to define unreasonable water use. That power can also be used to ban golf course and cemetery owners from using drinking water to maintain landscapes when recycled water is available, but Marcus said the board isn’t targeting those areas now.
The board could consider the extension of restrictions next month and take up other possible regulations later in the year.
How about starting with regulating the blatant over building by developers who have no concern except their pockets. THEN add the senile old goat Moonbutt inviting millions of illegals into the state. They will be drinking/using the water as well. IDIOT!!
I’m all for conserving some but I will not have the idiots running this state into the ground tell me what or when to water. Felicia Marcus included.
Wow kit, take a pill….
The article has no mention that the drought is south of Sacramento. Reservoirs in no. Cal are near normal, at normal levels or even higher than normal.
Kind of a stretch peter… But better than last year. Probably 50-75% for NorCal. So cal is hurting big time like you said though.. The state does need much more water conservation restrictions.
Are you kidding, Perry? Look around – the Sierra Nevada is the largest water storage area on the planet and it is almost completely empty. Believe your eyes!!
One major reason the reservoirs are so empty is that most of them are used as flood control, and they’ve kept emptying them out for years now, in the fall, just in case of heavy water years. We’d have a lot more stored if that weren’t the case.
Isn’t it great to live in South Lake Tahoe were we are literally awash in underground water.
As an aside, we certainly do not need water meters, STPUD. That law is an ass.
Sure Kit, like there were no Undocumented Workers in California before 2011. Still moaning about Neil Cashkari loosing are you.
And how about the 3 Million Undocumented Workers that your Leftist Nazi Reagan gave amnesty to in the 1980’s. Reagan was sure smiling when he signed that one into law. LOL!
I feel like this ongoing drought is just part of a longer cycle and not so much global warming. Has climatologist really checked the history of CA weather to see if is not something that will go away?
‘One of the world’s most prominent climate researchers publishing scientific papers that doubt humanity’s role in climate change has received at least $1.2 million from the fossil fuel industry to fund his research and salary, according to documents revealed this weekend.’
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/02/22/3625629/willie-soon-fossil-fuel-money/