www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/15/BA0710ME05.DTL
Joshua Botting, a 3-year-old from Walnut Creek, plays in ... Faced with mandatory rationing by the East Bay Municipal Utility District, thousands of customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties Wednesday began contemplating a long, hot summer of restricted water use. The utility is asking residents to cut back 19 percent or possibly face fines, surcharges and water service shut-offs. "I've got half an acre of lawn, a swimming pool and three teenagers," said Alex Theriault, a contractor from Danville whose bi-monthly water bills top $1,400. The district's Board of Directors voted Tuesday to ban a wide range of water-guzzling activities, such as washing cars without a shut-off nozzle on the hose, watering a lawn more than three days a week or when it creates excess runoff, washing sidewalks and filling ponds and fountains with nonrecycled water. The rules will be enforced by district "water police," who will patrol the streets in search of water-wasters and act on tips from neighbors, district spokesman Charles Hardy said. "You'd be surprised how many neighbors call in when they've been trying hard to conserve water and they see someone out there washing their car without a shut-off nozzle." When the water police catch a scofflaw wet-handed, they'll warn him or her to turn off the hose immediately. If offenders persist, they risk having their water shut off, Hardy said. The district's board will vote on a proposed rate structure at its July 8 meeting. The proposal calls for a 10 percent rate increase for residences, but customers who comply with the 19 percent cutback will actually see their bills go down. Customers who cut back less than 10 percent will face a $2 surcharge for every 748 gallons they use beyond their allotment. Customers who already use scant amounts of water - less than 100 gallons a day - would be exempt from the surcharges and 10 percent rate increase. "We've been really lax about water here, compared to other countries," said Debbie Wilson, a mom from Pleasant Hill who brought her children to play in the recycled-water fountain in downtown Pleasant Hill. "Right now, our automatic sprinklers come on every day," she said. Scott Vaisnor, a general contractor from Pleasant Hill, said his family used 400 gallons a day until they bought a low-flow washer and dishwasher and started cutting back in other ways. But he would have trouble giving up the lawn, he said Wednesday as he washed his Toyota in his driveway. "It's a lot harder to look at a dead lawn than a dirty car." He and others in parts of central and eastern Contra Costa County get their water from the Contra Costa Water District, which is urging its customers to conserve but has stopped short of rationing. "We do have adequate water supplies, but we're not immune to the same conditions affecting East Bay MUD," said Patty Friesen, public affairs director. "If we have another dry year we might have to go to rationing." The East Bay district received half the runoff it was expecting this year and anticipates a shortage of 200,000 acre-feet by Oct. To help customers meet the rationing goals, the district is giving away low-flow showerheads, shut-off nozzles, aerators for kitchen and bathroom faucets and dye pills to detect toilet leaks. Customers on the western side of the hills, where lawns and swimming pools are scarce, can meet the 19 percent reduction goal by cutting back on indoor water use, Hardy said. Residents can check their toilets for leaks, install low-flow appliances and aerate their faucets. Even minor changes, like turning off the faucet while brushing teeth, can make a difference, Hardy said. How you can help To report water-wasting neighbors, call EBMUD's 24-hour hot line: (866) 403-2683.
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