Conservation Ordinance
** CURRENTLY IN STAGE 4 CONSERVATION **
PINE VALLEY MUTUAL WATER COMPANY WATER CONSERVATION ORDINANCE
AN ORDINANCE BY THE PINE VALLEY MUTUAL WATER COMPANY ESTABLISHING STAGES OF WATER CONSERVATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CURTAILMENT MEASURES
BE IT ORDAINED, by the Board of Directors of the Pine Valley Mutual Water Company as follows:
The Manager, or his designate, may be authorized and directed to implement the applicable provision of this Ordinance by the Board of Directors.
The provision of this Ordinance shall apply to water supplied by the Pine Valley Mutual Water Company to all persons, customers and property served by the Company wherever situated.
No customer of the Pine Valley Mutual Water Company shall knowingly make, cause, use or permit the use of water from the Company for residential, commercial, agricultural, governmental or any other purpose in a manner contrary to any provision of this Ordinance, or in an amount in excess of that permitted by the following conservation stages while they are in effect pursuant to action taken by the Board of Directors, the Manager or his designate, in accordance with this Ordinance.
STAGE 1: NORMAL SUPPLY LEVEL AVAILABLE
Stage 1 applies during periods when a normal supply and distribution capacity is available, while at the same time demand levels are not expected to significantly increase in the immediate future.
Elements of Stage 1 include:
(1) Adoption of a Company Policy which is an Action Plan for implementation of water conservation techniques.
(2) Failure to repair a controllable leak is defined as “waste of water” and is prohibited.
(3) Run-off water flooding down public walkways, driveways or parking lots is defined as “waste of water” and is prohibited.
STAGE 2: MANDATORY COMPLIANCE – WATER ALERT
Upon implementation by the Manager, the following restrictions shall apply to all persons.
Elements of stage 2 include:
(1) Irrigation utilizing individual sprinklers or sprinkler systems, including drip systems, manual, automatic or computerized used for lawns, gardens, landscaped areas, trees, shrubs or other plants is prohibited except on a designated day which shall be once every other day, and only then during the hours of 6:00 pm to 9:00 am.
(2) The washing of automobiles, trucks, trailers, tractors, boats and other types of mobile equipment is prohibited except on designated days between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. Such washing, when allowed, shall be done with a hand-held bucket or a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shut-off nozzle. The nozzle shall be removed when the hose is not in use.
EXCEPTION: Such washings are exempted from these regulations where the health, safety and welfare of the public is contingent upon frequent vehicle cleanings.
(3) The filling, refilling or adding of water to uncovered outdoor swimming pools, wading pools or spas is prohibited except on designated days between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.
(4) Use of water from fire hydrants shall be limited to fire fighting related activities and/or other activities necessary to maintain the health, safety and welfare of the public.
(5) Water use for construction from fire hydrants at designated locations determined by staff may be permitted at the discretion of the Manager or his designate.
(6) Water shall not be used to wash down sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, tennis courts, patios or other paved areas except to alleviate immediate fire, safety or sanitation hazards.
EXCEPTION: Specific arrangements may be made with any user to provide for temporary exemption from these restrictions, due to special or unusual circumstances or conditions.
STAGE 3: MANDATORY COMPLIANCE – WATER EMERGENCY
The Manager shall monitor the projected supply and demand for water on a daily basis during periods of emergency or drought and shall recommend to the Board of Directors the extent of the conservation required through the implementation and/or termination of particular conservation stages in order for the Pine Valley Mutual Water Company to plan for and supply water to its customers. Thereafter the Board of Directors may order that the appropriate phase of water conservation be implemented or terminated in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Ordinance. Said order shall be published by means of posting in public places, or notification by mail, or by hand-delivered notice, or such other method as may be necessary to inform the users in a timely manner.
PROVISIONS FOR ENFORCEMENT
Violations of this Ordinance will be handled through the following procedures.
FIRST VIOLATION: The Manager or his designated representative shall apply a notice to the door or gate of the user with the violation(s) stated and recommendations for corrections listed.
SECOND VIOLATION: Every reasonable effort will be made by the Manager or his designated representative to present a notification in person to the offender with further explanations as needed.
THIRD VIOLATION: Consumers who, after the two previous notices, are found to be willfully violating the regulations and restrictions of this Ordinance shall be subject to having their meter(s) locked off. The fee for restoration of service is $100.00 per meter.
STAGE 4: GOVERNOR BROWN’S MANDATORY CONSERVATION ORDER
Item 1: The regulations applicable to the general public prohibit the following actions by any person, except where the water use is necessary to address and immediate health and safety need or to comply with a term of condition of a permit issued by a federal or state agency.
a) All outdoor irrigation is limited to no more than twice a week.
b) Applying (e.g. hosing or spraying) water to outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes runoff that flows onto adjacent property.
c) Using a hose to wash an automobile with potable water, except where the hose has a shut-off nozzle or device attached to it that causes it to immediately cease dispensing water when not in use.
d) Applying potable water to driveways and sidewalks; and
e) Using potable water in a fountain or other decorative water feature, except where the water is part of a recirculating system.
SEVERABILITY
If any provision, section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance, or the application of same to any person or set of circumstances for any reason is held to be unconstitutional, void or invalid, the validity of the remaining portions shall not be affected thereby. It being the intent of the Board of Directors in adopting this Ordinance that no portion thereof, or provisions, or regulation contained herein, shall become inoperative, or fail by reason of any fault of any other portion hereof. All provisions of this Ordinance are declared to be severable for that purpose. This Ordinance shall take effect on the date of adoption by the Board of Directors.
ADOPTED: April 10, 1990
PVMWC
Board of Directors