City council adopts mandatory water conservation effective July through October

At its meeting Wednesday, the Sonoma City Council voted unanimously to adopt a new resolution establishing mandatory water conservation by which Sonoma city water customers must comply starting July 1.
If a resident violates one of the conservation regulations, which include using a broom – not a hose and water – he or she will first receive an “oops tag” before facing increasingly harsher penalties, ranging from fines to water shut-off.
In 2003, the city developed “oops tag” door hangers and informational letters before a fee was to be imposed. A total of 71 “oops tags” were distributed between 2003 through 2006. According to city manager Mike Fuson, no fees have ever been imposed.
The city can charge a fee of $70 to anyone receiving a second “oops tag” notice regarding the violation of water-conservation regulations.
The municipal code goes as far as to shut off one’s water, if necessary.
“I think this is a step in the right direction,” councilman August Sebastiani said. “Enforcement is the key – but I’d rather see the violation fees go through the roof rather than cut someone’s water off.”
The resolution states that all water customers of the City of Sonoma are directed to:
A. Use water efficiently and reduce less-essential uses of water with the goal of achieving an overall system-wide reduction of 15 percent.
B. Apply irrigation water only during the evening and early morning hours to reduce evaporation losses; after sunset and before sunrise.
C. Before June 1, inspect all irrigation systems, repair leaks, and adjust spray heads to provide optimum coverage and eliminate avoidable over-spray.
D.For irrigation valves controlling water applied to lawns, vary the minutes of run-time consistent with fluctuations in weather.
E. Reduce minutes of run-time for each irrigation cycle if water begins to run-off to gutters and ditches before the irrigation cycle is completed.
F. Become conversant with and strictly adhere to the City of Sonoma’s Water Waste Prohibition Ordinance.
G. Utilize water conservation incentive, rebate and give-a-way programs to replace water-guzzling plumbing fixtures and appliances with water-efficient models.
H. Take advantage of the free information available from the city of Sonoma on how to use water efficiently, read your water meter, repair ordinary leaks, and make your landscape a water-efficient landscape.
I. Use a broom, not a hose and water, to clean sidewalk, driveway, deck or patio.
J. Use a hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle when washing vehicles, or take the vehicle to a carwash that recycles water.
City council ordered the conservation measures because in June, the State of California Water Resources Control Board directed the Sonoma County Water Agency to reduce by 15 percent its diversions from the Russian River.
The Sonoma County Water Agency, which supplies a significant portion of the city of Sonoma’s potable water supply, is asking its water contractors, customers, business and agricultural communities to implement mandatory water conservation measures effective July 1 through Oct. 28, or the condition for water conservation no longer exists.
Over the past five years, the trend in Sonoma water use suggests that there is a decline in water consumption.
Since 2002, there has been a 16 percent annual city water reduction and a 7 percent reduction from 2004 through 2006.
“There are lots of ways to reduce water usage within the household – but it takes the participation of the entire household,” mayor pro tem Joanne Sanders said. “With a few minor changes in behavior – 50 to 60 gallons of water can be saved each day.”