FOUNTAIN VALLEY : City in Phase 2 of Water Conservation

The city this week moved into the second phase of a three-step water conservation plan intended to cut water use by 15%, but the guidelines are voluntary.

The City Council decided to pay penalties to the county water district should Fountain Valley use more than its allotted water supply.

As part of countywide cutbacks that took effect March 1, the MWD cut by half the amount of water supplied to Fountain Valley. Before the cuts, the city obtained 30% of its water from MWD and 70% from from its own wells.

But to make up for MWD cuts, the Orange County Water District, the agency that controls the county’s underground basin, will allow the city to pump 10% more from its wells.

Water that Fountain Valley pumps from the underground basin beyond its 80% supply level would be priced at a rate five times higher than the current $48 per acre-foot (325,000 gallons), or $247.

Water usage has already been reduced by 3% since January, when requests for water conservation were mailed with water bills, said Wayne Osbourne, director of public works. “The city only needs to reduce use by 2% more to reach its goal,” he added.

Stage 2 of the city’s water plan designates specific days for everything from filling pools to watering lawns for all its customers between 9:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. Addresses ending in odd numbers can water on odd calendar days and those ending in even numbers get even days.

Car washing is limited to using a bucket of five gallons or less or going to a commercial car wash. And hosing down sidewalks, driveways, or any paved area is prohibited. Golf course, park and school grounds will be watered only between 9:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. Operating any ornamental fountain is prohibited unless, like the City Hall fountain, the water is recirculated.

The council adopted the three-phase plan last year, but had not actually voted to implement any of the three stages. On its own, however, city staff, started implementing the first stage in January.

Councilman John Collins, who lobbied to make Stage 2 unofficial and voluntary, said, “I’m against government over-regulation . . . If the water situation doesn’t get better, then we can put Stage 2 into effect--including the penalties.”

He added that the council could not officially adopt stage 2 yet because to do so requires a finding that the city is unable to meet the water demands of its customers. “ . . . Staff advised the council that we can meet those demands,” he argued.

Because the guidelines are only voluntary so far, residents or businesses that do not comply will only receive written warning notices.

Under mandatory compliance, which the council may later require, penalties will range from $100 for first-time violations to $500 for additional violations within a year.

Stage 2 guidelines will be mailed to residents in early June, in time for the summer months when water demand is highest, Osbourne said.