According to a Press Release issued, August 7, 2008, the Chino Hills City Council has declared a Stage II Water Alert in accordance with its updated Water Conservation Ordinance that was adopted in July. This moves water conservation from a voluntary effort to a daily requirement. The Stage II Water Alert does not apply to construction projects or areas where recycled water, flowing through purple pipes, is used.
"California is suffering from a State-wide drought and water supplies are down," said Pat Hagler, Director of Public Facilities and Operations. "We must stop wasting water because this concern is not going away." Restrictions that prohibit automatic irrigation from watering landscaped areas between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and the hosing down of driveways are among the list of eight items designed to simply eliminate situations where water is wasted. Restrictions apply starting on Friday, August 8th.
Stage II is a Moderate Conservation Alert and is declared when it is anticipated that the water supply may be reduced by up to 10 %. The City of Chino Hills' imported water supply is expected to be reduced by at least 7% between May 1, 2008 and April 30, 2009.
Chino Hills is the first city in the Inland Empire to enact water restrictions. The City of Long Beach enacted restrictions earlier this year and became one of the first cities in Southern California to mandate water conservation. "The City is working to get the word out to the community about the new water restrictions," said Denise Cattern, City spokesperson. "Our outreach efforts will focus on providing information by personal contact, flyers on counters at City facilities, on the City website (www.chinohills.org), in local newspapers, on Time/Warner channel 3 and Verizon channel 41, in our water bills, and through special publications." As part of the outreach effort, Public Facilities and Operations (PF & O) employees who work out in the field will make contact with residents they encounter to provide information about the requirements of the Stage II Water Alert. City officials consider the community outreach component as the first phase of implementing the new Ordinance.
Following the public education and outreach period, PF& O staff will issue a Water Use Alert if they see prohibited activities underway. During this second phase, the City will seek voluntary compliance and will make sure water customers are aware of the new requirements. A door hanger will be placed at the property indicating what activity was noted. Staff will follow-up to determine if the property owner has taken corrective action. If the wasting of water continues, code enforcement will continue the effort to get compliance from the customer.
Phase three marks a series of escalating fines that start at $50 for the second violation and can climb to between $500 and $1,000 for the fourth violation. For extreme cases when the water customer is not making any attempt to follow the Stage II Water Alert requirements, the Ordinance provides a series of additional tools that the City may use to seek compliance.
"Many of our residents have already reduced their water use," said Pat Hagler. "We are trying to reach those customers who have not made water conservation a way of life." According to Ms. Hagler, the requirements in a Stage II Water Alert are just good sense water-saving steps like watering landscaping during the cooler hours of the day and using a shut-off nozzle on the hose if you wash your car at home." Chino Hills water customers have impressed the City with their efforts to reduce their water use when the need is there according to Ms. Cattern. "When the Rialto Feeder, a major water delivery pipeline, was shut down for emergency repairs a few years ago, Chino Hills water customers responded to the call to reduce their water use," said Cattern.
Water customers with questions about the Stage II Water Alert may call (909) 364- 2800. Residents may also request a Water Audit appointment. PF & O employees will visit homes to check for leaks, monitor irrigation effectiveness and provide water conservation tips. These appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Construction activity and areas served by recycled water are not subject to the provisions of the Stage II Water Alert. If residents note publicly-owned property being watered between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. they should look to see if the area is served by purple pipes which deliver recycled water to parks and landscaped areas. If prohibited activities are noted, please call (909) 364-2800 to report the concern and City employees will follow up and provide Stage II Water Alert information to the water customers. The full Ordinance and program details are available on the City website at www.chinohills.org.
Rebates are available for a variety of water-saving appliances, etc. on the Inland Empire Utilities Agency website at www.ieua.org/water_smart.html. Rebates are also available for residents who reduce the amount of turf on their property or who install artificial turf to reduce their water use.
City of Chino Hills Stage II Water Alert
Moderate Conservation Alert Prohibitions and Restrictions
1. No hose washing of sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, etc
2. Decorative water fountains at commercial properties may only be operated if the water is part of a re-circulating system
3. Water customers must repair all water leaks
4. Outdoor watering of landscaping is prohibited between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. * **
5. Vehicles, trailers, boats, and livestock can be washed with the use of a bucket and a hand-held hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle for a quick rinse
6. Restaurants may not serve water unless the customer requests water
7. Water may not run off or leak from landscaped areas to streets, sidewalks, or other paved areas due to incorrectly directed or maintained sprinklers or over watering
8. Fire hydrants may only be used for fire fighting ***
* This provision does not apply to water dependent industries including equestrian and livestock businesses, nurseries, and golf courses.
** Hand watering through the use of a hand-held hose with a shut-off nozzle is permitted.
*** An exception may be made for construction use through a City-designated meter when recycled water is not available. -30-
Contact:
Valerie McClung (909) 364-2618
Denise Cattern (909) 364-2615
and is not a part of nor affiliated with the City of Chino Hills.