San Francisco Giants ordered to cut back on water use

The San Francisco Giants did not use any Champagne this September, but they used plenty of water.

They exceeded their water allotment that month by 70% -- not at AT&T Park, but at a team-run park across from McCovey Cove.

The Giants were ordered to cut water use there, according to utility records obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle.

The team blamed leaks that it said have since been repaired.

“We’ve had trouble with people stealing irrigation equipment there,” Giants spokeswoman Staci Slaughter told the Chronicle. “We’ve fixed it.”

The Chronicle reported last month that Billy Beane, the Oakland Athletics’ executive vice president of baseball operations, “has been slopping nearly 6,000 gallons of water a day on the grounds of his Danville estate and his swimming pool.” The Chronicle cited utility records that included Beane “among the top water hogs in the East Bay.”

In a statement, Beane said leaks had been discovered on his property and would be fixed.

“We are more than displeased and embarrassed by the usage,” he said in the statement, “and are taking immediate action.”