STANTON : Emergency Law on Water Curbs OKd

The City Council has passed an ordinance imposing mandatory water-use restrictions which carry fines of up to $200 for violators.

Under the ordinance adopted Tuesday, lawn-watering on both public and private property will be prohibited from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day between April 1 and Sept. 30. During the same months, agricultural water-users and nurseries must restrict watering to between 6 p.m. and 11 a.m.

Restaurants are prohibited from serving water unless patrons specifically request it, and hosing down pavement--except to alleviate fire or sanitation hazards--is banned.

Car-washing is prohibited on public streets and is restricted to use of a hand-held hose or bucket on private property. Commercial car washes are not regulated under the ordinance. Additionally, all new buildings, or additions to existing buildings, must install low-flush toilets and water-saving faucets and shower heads.

The law was passed as an “urgency ordinance” because of the severity of the drought and thus went into effect immediately, instead of after the normal 30-day waiting period.

Offenders will receive two warnings, then citations that carry fines increasing from $50 for the first conviction to $200 for the third. A third violation will bring a misdemeanor charge, City Atty. Thomas W. Allen said.