• Living in Southern California is a tough business when it comes to appropriate water use. It necessitates a lot of changing habits, which is always harder than it seems. The City of Thousand Oaks is being pushed into better living through water conservation and efficiency.

    Thousand Oaks Faces $4-million Fine if Water Use Exceeds Expectations

    By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.comThis might be a good week not to wash your car at home or do anything else that uses water unless it’s absolutely necessary.

    July 1 is the city’s water usage day of reckoning, the end of the fiscal year that began in July 2009.

    Metropolitan Water District, the regional water supplier, will tally up Thousand Oaks’ water use to see if consumption was 15 percent less than the year before. If not, a $4-million fine will be imposed on the city’s water company.

    That fine will be passed on to customers and will increase water bills by about 33 percent.

    “We’re right on the line,” said public works director Mark Watkins.

    Thousand Oaks has done a good job of reducing water usage, he said. The goal is close to being met.

    Everyone knows that wetter spring weather gets much of the credit, but residents have been required to follow the city water ordinance that limits how often they can water their lawns, how quickly water leaks must be repaired and what kind of nozzle must be used to wash a car at home. Washing hard or paved surfaces isn’t allowed.

    More drought-resistant native plants have been used. Restaurant waiters stopped automatically bringing water to customers. Hotels began giving guests the option of declining fresh linens.

    The city created a hotline for residents to report others who use water excessively.

    Neighbors could report neighbors who disobeyed the new laws at (805) 375-5747.

    Soon residents will learn if all the conservation measures have paid off.

    They’ll also be expected to keep up the good work because enforcement of water conservation will continue.

    Under the water conservation ordinance approved by the City Council last year, homeowners are allowed to water three times per week, but not between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and no excessive runoff is permitted.

     

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