Increased Mandatory Water Conservation Measures

At the May 28, 2013 City Council meeting, the City Council implemented mandatory water conservation measures for all water customers in Sierra Madre, effective immediately. The dry winter Sierra Madre just experienced seriously affected the groundwater levels as did increased water consumption by the City’s water customers. Due to the lack of rain and increased consumption, the groundwater levels have not recovered, leading the Raymond Basin Watermaster to reduce the City’s groundwater pumping rights by almost 47%.

The City now requires that each water customer conserve a percentage of his or her July 2011 through June 2012 water use. The required percentage of conservation will vary, depending on the customer’s water use. Customers consuming 0-12 billing units of water (0-1,200 cubic feet) will be exempt from the conservation requirements. Customers using 13-17 billing units (1,300 – 1,700 cubic feet) are required to reduce their consumption by 10%. Customers using 18 units or more are required to reduce by 20%.

Additional information on these new water conservation regulations is available at the City’s website www.cityofsierramadre.com

It is imperative that everyone in the community does everything they can to conserve water. Active, thoughtful water conservation by everyone in Sierra Madre now could help the City avoid even more stringent mandatory measures and/or the import of water from sources outside the City.

The following measures remain in place:

• Washing sidewalks, walkways, patios, driveways, or parking areas with a water hose is prohibited.
• Water may not be used to clean, fill or maintain levels in decorative fountains unless such water is part of a recycling system.
• Restaurants, cafes, delis, or other public places where food is sold, served or offered for sale, may not serve drinking water unless expressly requested by the customer.
• Water leaks must be fixed immediately.
• Watering lawns, landscaping, or other turf areas is prohibited between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and must be done in a manner that does not waste any water.

There are a number of ways to save water, for more water conservation tips, visit http://wateruseitwisely.com.