Water fines could be imposed

Local water districts are considering tougher measures to convince the public that water conservation is vital in Southern California because of prolonged drought conditions and a court-ordered sanction that limits the amount of water flowing from Northern California to the south.

The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District implemented voluntary water conservation programs in January and mandatory measures in July, but according to Jimmie Cho, LVMWD director of resource conservation and public outreach, water consumption was tracking 10 percent higher prior to summer compared to the same time period in 2007.

Part of the problem, said LVMWD General Manager John Mundy, is that the district hasn't imposed fines or sanctions. The tougher measures are expected to be discussed when the water district board meets on Oct. 28.

Triunfo Sanitation District, an agency that operates the Oak Park Water Service, also is reviewing measures that will penalize the so-called "water hogs." Triunfo plans to institute voluntary measures before imposing sanctions.

Oak Park Water Service, along with water agencies in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark and Camarillo, receives potable water from the Calleguas Municipal Water District.

In turn, both Calleguas and Las Virgenes obtain water from the larger Metropolitan Water District. LVMWD said it had purchased 3 percent more water from Metropolitan compared to the first nine months of last year.

Las Virgenes requires residents to sweep driveways rather hosing them down and to refrain from watering landscaping between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Restaurants can serve water only to customers who request it, and hotels must notify guests that they have the option of reusing linens during multinight stays. Residents are asked to water their lawns one less day a week and to use a carwash, not a garden hose, to wash their cars.

In addition, agricultural users have been told to reduce consumption by 30 percent.

LVMWD spokesperson Jeff Reinhardt said the biggest culprit is outdoor water use, where more than 70 percent of residential supplies are consumed. "If a family is looking to conserve water that's the first place they can make changes," Reinhardt said.

One angry resident with an eye toward conservation hatched the idea of printing the names of chronic over-users in The Acorn, but Mundy said the district is not allowed to take that step.

Still, said Mundy, "Voluntary efforts haven't produced enough water savings to convince people to cut back on their water usage. A water supply restriction situation may be painful for our customers."