Mayor Jerry Sanders has spent the last six months calling on San Diegans to change our water use voluntarily: He asked us all to reduce our monthly use by 20 gallons, he asked restaurants to stop serving water unless requested, and so on and so forth. But did we listen? No, we did not. Or, at least we only listened for a little while.
At a press conference today, Sanders said that in the first part of this year, San Diego used seven percent less water than it had during the same period last year, well on the way to Sanders’ goal of a 10 percent reduction. But then in the last month our water use increased, and we’re only using 3 percent less than last year.
“If current trends continue, we’ll use more water this year than we did last year,” he said.
Therefore, in light of ongoing drought conditions and the judicial orders reducing the amount of water we can take from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and the fact that we live in a desert, Sanders will declare a Stage 1 Water Emergency. Under the municipal code, Stage 1 recommends voluntary reductions in water use.
More foreboding, though, was water chief Jim Barrett’s hint that worse is coming.
“Depending on rainfall and snow-pack conditions in the Sierras this winter, we’ll know if we need to go to Stage 2 in the spring,” Barrett said.
Stage 2 makes the Stage 1 rules mandatory, and it will only be implemented if, as the code reads, “The probability exists that the City of San Diego Water Utilities Department will not be able to meet all of the water demands of its customers.”
City Attorney Mike Aguirre has issued a press release demanding that San Diego go directly to these Stage 2 restrictions
After the jump you can find the Stage 1 and 2 water reductions:
(1) Lawn watering and landscape irrigation, including construction meter
irrigation, is permitted only during designated hours on designated
days. Watering is permitted at any time if:
(A) a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle is
used, or
(B) a hand-held container is used, or
(C) a drip irrigation system is used.
Commercial nurseries, commercial sod farms and similarly situated
establishments are exempt from Stage 2 irrigation restrictions but will
be required to curtail all nonessential water use.
(2) The washing of automobiles, trucks, trailers, boats, airplanes and other
types of mobile equipment, is permitted at any time with a hand-held
bucket or a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle
for quick rinses.
Washing may be done at any time on the immediate premises of a
commercial car wash or commercial service station, or by a mobile car
wash or on-site car wash using high pressure washing equipment.
Further, such washings are exempted from these regulations where the
health, safety and welfare of the public is contingent upon frequent
vehicle cleanings, such as garbage trucks and vehicles to transport
food and perishables.
(3) The overfilling of swimming pools, spas, ponds and artificial lakes is
prohibited.
(4) Irrigation of golf courses, parks, school grounds and recreation fields
is permitted only during designated hours on designated days.
(5) Use of water from fire hydrants shall be limited to fire fighting, related
activities or other activities necessary to maintain the health, safety
and welfare of the citizens of San Diego.
(6) All restaurants are prohibited from serving water to their customers
except when specifically requested by the customers.
(7) Water shall not be used to wash down sidewalks, driveways, parking
areas, tennis courts, patios or other paved areas, except to alleviate
immediate fire or sanitation hazards.
(8 ) Ornamental fountains may operate if they recirculate water.
Ornamental fountains that do not recycle water are prohibited.
(9) Construction operations receiving water from a construction meter or
water truck shall not use water unnecessarily for any purposes other
than those required by regulatory agencies. Construction projects
requiring watering for new landscaping materials should adhere to the
designated irrigation hours associated with subsection (1) of Stage 2.
