OJAI VALLEY : Water Restrictions to Be Considered

A program that would restrict the amount of water used by customers of the Casitas Municipal Water District will be discussed at a public hearing today at the district office.

The program is being considered because customer demand has begun to exceed the capacity of the Lake Casitas Reservoir, said district Assistant General Manager Richard Hajas.

Although the district directly serves only about 2,500 residential customers in the Ojai Valley and a portion of the city of Ventura, the allocation program will affect water users mostly in the Ojai Valley, because nearly all of the water companies serving the valley purchase supplementary water from Casitas.

Under the program, customers will be penalized by sharp increases on their water bills, depending on how much they exceed their allocation, Hajas said. Residential allocations, however, will be liberal enough that the majority of residential customers will not have to use less water than they currently use. If the ordinance is passed, the Board of Directors will have the option of implementing restrictions anytime after Jan. 1, 1992, but would probably not implement them until late spring, Hajas said. The hearing begins at 3 p.m. at the district office at 1055 Ventura Ave. in Oak View.