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CONSIDER PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF <br />WATER SPRINKLING REGULATIONS <br /> By: Steven Jankowski, City Engineer <br /> <br />PW CASE# <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />City code section 4.40.06 Subd. l0 allows the City to limit the times and hours during <br />which water may be used from the City system for specific uses, primarily irrigation. <br /> <br />This section of the code reads: <br /> <br /> The use of lawn hoses is permitted at all hours of the day, but in case of fire in <br />any area served by the municipal water system, all lawn hoses must be shut off and all <br />other unnecessary use of water must be stopped. Whenever the City shall determine that <br />a shortage of water supply threatens the City, it may, bypublished notice and/or radio <br />and television notice, limit the times and hours during which water may be used from the <br />City water system for lawn or garden sprinkling irrigation, car washing, swimming <br />pools, air conditioning or other uses. Notice ora violation of the published notice shall <br />be mailed to the violator and violation of the mailed notice is hereby prohibited. Any <br />water customer who shall cause or permit water to be used in violation of the provisio~s <br />of said notice two clays after its mailing, may have water service discontinued. <br /> <br />In practice during recent years it has not been necessary to vigorously enforce the odd/ <br />even sprinkling restrictions as the utility has had adequate capacity even during hi~ <br />demand periods. However during the peak use day during 2003 the water utility pumped <br />over 6 million gallons per day. With all five wells running 24 hours per day water was <br />still being drawn from the towers to meet the high demand. This year with additional <br />residential units being connected to the system it will be necessary to rely on our water <br />conservation regulations since well 6 will not be on line until after the peak water use <br />period is over. <br /> <br />Staff is of the opinion that an enforcement policy which is more progressive in applying <br />penalties for sprinkling ban violations will be easier to enforce and will result in better <br />compliance. <br /> <br />Recommendations: <br /> <br />Staff recommends that section 4.40.06 Subd. l0 be amended to include the following <br />penalties for successive violations within a calendar year: <br /> <br />· 1st violation mailed written warning <br />· 2''d violation written violation by registered mail <br /> <br /> <br />