City Amends Water Shortage Procedures

Prompted by what officials call a depleting local water supply, the Pasadena City Council will put into effect amended water shortage procedures on July 4.

A reduction in water imports from Northern California has led the Metropolitan Water District (MWD), from which Pasadena receives 65 percent of its water supply, to cut Pasadena’s water allocation by 10 percent as of July 1 and impose surcharges on the city if it does not meet water conservation targets.

In reaction to the water supply reduction and the threat of future charges, the Pasadena City Council has chosen to amend Pasadena Municipal Code 13.10, the city’s water shortage procedures, to ensure a more effective response to current water supply challenges.

Pasadena’s revised ordinance permanently prohibits specific instances of conspicuous water waste, with warnings and fines to be issued to enforce these prohibitions and any additional water shortage restrictions.

As of July 4, no watering outdoors between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. will be permitted, with the exception of the use of hand-held containers or hoses with a shut-off nozzle, or for short periods when adjusting a sprinkler system, city officials declared.

Water waste prohibition measures also include: no watering during periods of rain; no excessive water flow or runoff onto pavement, ditches or gutters; no washing of paved surfaces except for sanitation or safety purposes, in which case a hose with a shut-off nozzle, a bucket, a water recycling cleaning machine or a low-volume/high pressure water broom is to be used; no installation of non-recirculating water systems at new commercial laundries and car washes;Â no installation of single-pass cooling systems in buildings requesting new water service; and vehicles must be washed with hoses with shut-off nozzles and/or hand-held buckets, according to city officials.

Also, by 2010, all commercial car washes must have recirculating water systems or must secure city waivers, it was announced.

Fountains and water features must have re-circulating water systems, and all property owners must fix breaks, malfunctions or leaks upon discovery or within seven days of receiving a notice from Pasadena Water and Power (PWP), city officials said. It was also reported by the city that restaurants must use water-saving dish-wash spray valves and are not to serve drinking water unless it is requested, and motels and hotels must give guests the option to decline changing of daily towels and bed linens.

The amended ordinance also enables to Council to issue invoke additional restrictions if a water shortage level is declared, at which point they will determine the severity by announcing a water shortage Level 1-4. The level declared will determine how soon leaks must be repaired, whether vehicles are allowed to be washed, whether pools, fountains, ponds and other water features will be allowed to be filled and the number of days per week outdoor watering is allowed.

Phyllis E. Currie, PWP General Manager, said the city and the PWP have worked together to prepare citizens for the possibility of a water shortage for more than two years. The city projected a water shortage in Dec. 2007 and directed all Pasadenans to follow voluntary conservation measures outlined in the city’s Water Shortage Plan, and in April 2009, the city approved the PWP’s Comprehensive Water Conservation Plan to achieve city-wide conservation targets of up to 30 percent, officials said.

“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,” Currie said. “But with MWD’s allocation cutback and long-term challenges ahead, we need everyone to make adjustments and adhere to the new ordinance.”

Residents can practice additional water conservation measures by taking five minute showers, turning off faucets when shaving or brushing teeth, watering the lawn only two to three times a week, washing only full loads of dishes and laundry, cleaning driveways and pavement with brooms, not hoses, installing water-efficient appliances and fixtures, and passing on water conservation measures to friends and neighbors, according to the PWP.

Anyone who has witnessed possible instances of water waste can report it to the PWP by calling the Pasadena Water Shortage Hotline at (626) 744-8888.