Water runs dry

Sprinklers going off during the day is no longer a sight to be seen in Huntington Beach and Sunset Beach after a new water ordinance went into effect Jan. 6, tightening water restrictions in response to water shortages.

The ordinance, which limits watering times and days, and a temporary water supply shortage measure were approved by the Huntington Beach City Council at its Nov. 16 meeting. The city supplies Sunset Beach with water.

“All cities had to cut back because of the drought situation,” Mayor Cathy Green said.

The city is not proactively enforcing the rules and no fines have been given out yet, but residents who fail to follow the restrictions can be slapped with up to a $1,000 fine or up to six months in jail. Water Conservation Coordinator Bill Crisp said the city is looking to “iron out” how the fines are going to work.

The city sent out fliers to businesses, included information in residents’ water bills and is working on getting the ordinance translated into Spanish.

Sheryl Hammond, a resident for nearly 15 years, said she wasn’t aware of the changes, but isn’t surprised. Hammond owns a home in Lake Arroyohead where water restrictions are already enforced. In her Huntington Beach home, Hammond said, she already follows most of the restrictions and plans on making sure to follow the rest.

“We know how important it is,” she said.

The ordinance prohibits irrigation with sprinklers between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and watering is limited to less than 15 minutes a day. However, there is a loophole in the ordinance for residents who water by hand. Homeowners with shut-off hoses can water their lawns every day with impunity if they want, Crisp said.

Residents who want to wash their cars have to use hand-held buckets or a hose equipped with a self-closing water shut-off nozzle; washing hard or paved surfaces is prohibited; and water fountains are required to use a recirculation system. Any leaks must be fixed within seven days of notification.

The temporary water shortage measure further restricts all irrigation water usage to one day a week from November through March and three days a week from April to October. Leaks must also be repaired within 72 hours of notification.

A glass on request

The new restrictions also affect restaurants, which are now required to use water-conserving dishwash spray valves and can only serve drinking water upon request. Ramon Gutierrez, the owner of Don Ramon’s Mexican Restaurant in Huntington Beach, said he received a letter from the city about the changes, but isn’t concerned.

“We’ve already adopted that policy,” he said.

Gutierrez said he has also incorporated water conservation practices at home. The Huntington Beach resident had a smart system, which controls the sprinklers to only water certain parts of the yard at certain times to conserve water, installed to water his plants more than a year ago. Gutierrez said he re-landscaped his house a couple years ago and was advised watering it could become an issue. After installing the system, he received a rebate from the city for water conservation.

The city had to adopt the ordinance to be eligible for water conservation rebate programs from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The SoCal WaterSmart program, through the water district, began in September to promote installing water-saving devices.

The rebates are on a first-come, first-served basis with a limited amount of funding. Only about 10% of the funding is left. The rebates are for residential water users who are not represented by a homeowners association or property management company.

Residents can apply for rebates for high-efficiency clothes washers and toilets; weather-based irrigation controllers, which automatically adjust the irrigation schedule for changing weather; rotating sprinkler nozzles; and synthetic turf.

The future of water

California has been facing below-average precipitation and runoff since 2006 and is in its third consecutive year of drought, according to the state Department of Water Resources.

If the state doesn’t get the rain it is expecting, it could get worse. Crisp said he doesn’t see the city coming off the temporary water supply shortage measures any time soon.

“If we go into the fourth year of drought, there’s a decent chance we could go to level two,” Crisp said.

Level two of the water supply shortage would further restrict usage, limiting lake, pond and pool refilling.

Huntington Beach resident Alex Loewenbein also said he doesn’t see the situation getting better. He said the measures should have been put into effect earlier.

“Why do you attack when someone’s sick? You should give them medicine before that,” he said.

Loewenbein said he thinks the restrictions will get worse, and the burden to conserve will fall not on his generation, but the next.

“This is just a drop in the bucket,” he said.

Green is a little more optimistic about the water situation. The city has already conserved water by cutting back on its usage and implementing optional water restrictions residents could choose to follow in March, Green said.

“With all our conservation methods and [if] we get rain, I’d think we’d be in pretty good shape,” Green said.