GARDEN GROVE : City Adopts Water Conservation Plan

The City Council this week adopted a four-stage water conservation plan that gives the city authority to impose mandatory water restrictions on residents in the future.

Although the plan does not take effect for 30 days, city officials are urging residents to immediately comply with the first stage, which calls for voluntary water conservation.

Residents are being asked to limit lawn watering, car washing and filling swimming pools. Officials are also discouraging the hosing of sidewalks and driveways.

The ordinance also suggests that watering of golf courses, parks, schools and recreational fields take place between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. and recommends against operating ornamental fountains and serving water in restaurants unless requested by a customer.

Subsequent stages of the plan call for mandatory restrictions that could result in cutting off water to customers who do not comply with the rules.

“Water conservation is a regional issue,” said Terry Lane, city water services manager. “Although it’s not an immediate situation in this city, we need to conserve because the less we pump out of the ground water basin, the longer it will last in a drought situation.”

Councilman Robert F. Dinsen cast the lone dissenting vote, saying the plan doesn’t address water use for hotels, motels or new construction projects.

“The drought is a serious problem, there’s no doubt about that,” Dinsen said. “But I think if we’re going to have a conservation plan, it should be one that is logical and affects everyone.”

Last May, the council adopted a resolution asking residents to cut water usage by 10%. As of last month, water usage in the city had only been reduced by 2.8%, city officials said.