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Pasadena Council Adopts Water Shortage Plan, Limits Outdoor Watering to 2 Days a Week
News Jun 03, 2015
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The Pasadena City Council on Monday adopted the city’s Level 2 Water Supply Shortage Plan requiring additional mandatory water restrictions for residents and businesses effective immediately due to the severe drought in California.
The Council action to adopt the Level 2 Plan bans outdoor watering on Thursdays. Outdoor watering is now allowed only two days per week, Tuesdays and Saturdays before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
The plan also adopts a 28 percent water conservation goal citywide that aligns Pasadena with mandated reductions set by the state and reinforces that violators face fines up to $500 per incident.
Officials with the Pasadena Water and Power Department will regularly report back to the city council on progress to meet the conservation goal. If water savings are not sufficient during the summer, the council may have to mandate additional water use restrictions.
A new “Water Savings Gauge” is posted on the city’s website, www.cityofpasadena.net, and the Water and Power Department’s webpage, www.PWPweb.com, to help chart water savings with weekly updates.
The council action also included the following water-use restrictions: no turf irrigation within 48 hours following a measurable rain; no washing hard or paved surfaces using potable water, except as necessary to alleviate safety or sanitary hazards; all master-metered multifamily properties must certify installation of water-efficient shower heads and aerators on faucets by Sept. 30; the two-day per week outdoor watering schedule for Tuesdays and Saturdays is effective immediately through October; a one-day per week outdoor watering limit takes effect November to March; all identified water leaks must be fixed within 48 hours; filling ornamental lakes and ponds is prohibited.
The city is taking these additional steps to reduce municipal water use, including retrofitting city medians with low-emitting irrigation systems for trees; removing turf at Pasadena fire stations and planting drought-tolerant landscaping; turning off all water fountains at city facilities; closing the “Splash Pad” water play facility at La Pintoresca Park this summer; investing in Recycled Water Project & Arroyo Seco Canyon Project to increase water supplies; introducing a new graywater program, “Laundry to Landscape”; acquiring new technology and hardware to capture water flushed from pipes during maintenance.
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