KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
This news release is courtesy of Valencia Water.
Valencia Water has limited their customers to two nights of watering per week and has defined the penalties customers face if they waste water.
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Effective immediately, all Valencia Water Co. customers are now restricted to watering landscapes to twice a week and cannot water between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Under the twice-weekly watering schedule, customers with addresses ending in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) can water on Monday and Thursday; customers with addresses ending in an even number (2, 4, 6, 8, 0) can water on Tuesday and Friday. No outdoor watering is permitted on Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday.
Valencia Water Company’s board of directors today adopted a series of watering restrictions to comply with the California Water Resources Control Board’s mandate of VWC to reduce water use by 24 percent for the next several months.
Under rules adopted today, the following activities are prohibited within the Valencia Water Company service area:
* The application of potable water to outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes runoff such that water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, parking lots, and/or structures.
* The use of a hose that dispenses potable water to wash a motor vehicle, except where the hose is fitted with a shut-off nozzle or device attached to it that causes it to cease dispensing water immediately when not in use.
* The application of potable water to driveways and sidewalks.
* The use of potable water in a fountain or other decorative water feature, except where the water is part of a recirculating system.
* The application of potable water to outdoor landscapes during and within 48 hours after measureable rainfall.
* The serving of drinking water other than upon request in eating or drinking establishments, including but not limited to restaurants, hotels, cafes, cafeterias, bars, or other public places where food or drink are served and/or purchased.
* Irrigation with potable water of ornamental turf on public street medians.
* The irrigation with potable water of landscapes outside of newly constructed homes and buildings in a manner inconsistent with regulations or other requirements established by the California Building Standards Commission and the Department of Housing and Community Development.
* The irrigation with potable water of outdoor lawns, turf, landscape or other vegetated area with potable water during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on all days, except by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container or for very short periods of time for the purpose of evaluating, adjusting or repairing an irrigation system.
Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at [email protected].Penalties and Enforcement
Valencia Water Co. is conducting visual inspections as well as responding to calls about apparent water-wasting activities. For a first violation of the above prohibited activities, a written notice will be provided to the customer by mail or personal delivery. Any leak notifications must be repaired within 48 hours. For a second violation, a second written warning in the form of a non-compliance notice provided to the customer by mail or personal delivery.
For third and subsequent violations, a fine of $50 per violation will be imposed with an increase of $50 for each subsequent violation up to a maximum of $500 per day. Continuous violation may result in the installation of a flow restrictor or water service shutoff.
Dedicated irrigation meters may be shut off immediately when a leak is observed and notice of violation is provided to the customer by mail or personal delivery. The leak must be repaired before water service can be turned on.
California is now in the fourth year of an extreme drought. The year began with a lack of snowpack and state reservoirs far below normal. Under state rules that went into effect June 1, Valencia Water Company is required to reduce water use by 24 percent from 2013 levels. This requirement remains in effect through February 2016.
“Valencia Water Company believes its customers, who have responded very well so far to the call to save water, can take the necessary additional steps to meet our mandate of a 24 percent water reduction,” said Keith Abercrombie, VWC general manager. “However, we also want to remind customers that additional restrictions and actions may be necessary if we don’t achieve the required level of water-use reduction.”
Earlier this year, VWC’s board adopted a new rate structure with a provision to enact a “drought smart allocation” system as needed. If necessary, the modified allocation system can be implemented to send additional and more severe pricing signals to customers who exceed their monthly allocations.
Valencia Water Company customers are encouraged to take advantage of free water-saving fixtures offered by VWC, as well rebates for other water-saving devices such as drip-irrigation systems and high-efficiency toilets. Valencia Water Company customers also can receive a free water survey of their home. Water-saving ideas, rebate forms and more details are available on the Valencia Water Company websitewww.valenciawater.com or by calling 661-294-0828.
About Valencia Water Company
Valencia Water Company serves approximately 118,000 people in the Santa Clarita Valley, including Valencia, Stevenson Ranch and portions of Newhall, Saugus and Castaic. Valencia supplies its customers with high-quality water supplied from local wells and from imported supplies. Valencia has served the Santa Clarita Valley since 1965. Valencia Water Company can be reached at: www.valenciawater.com or 661-294-0828. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
So you cut while Valencia Water and Dan Masnada say there is plenty of water for the Newhall Ranch project? Is this fair? How is there not enough water for existing residents but plenty for 30,000 more housing units? Come on! When Castaic Lake Water Agency illegally bought Valencia Water from Newhall Land and Farming in Dec. of 2012, part of the deal promised that they would serve ALL Newhall Land’s (owned by out of state Lennar Corp) Westside projects – Newhall Ranch, Stevenson Ranch phase 5 in Pico Canyon and all these new Entrada (another 3000 units) tracts. So your Water Agencies did you in, John Q. Public. Its developers first in this Valley until someone throws the bums out at election time.
I agree. Everywhere I look there are new houses, apartments and condos being built. Not one empty hill will be left. Am I living in the twilight zone? Between all the building and Jerry Brown welcoming thousands of illegals in this state, of course we could run out of water. Don’t punish the residents who are already here, born here.
Did you really feel the need to state in your article what and even and odd number is? If the folks here don’t already know that, there is something seriously wrong.
Kudos to waterwatcher for sting the truth.
Sorry for the fat fingers in my previous post. should read: Kudos to waterwatcher for stating the truth
So now the ‘water police’… are we really having such a problem here in SCV, with people squandering the water supply? Next it’ll be a 50% reduction in water use, then a 75% water reduction, then a dust bowl. I’m all for conserving resources but I’m not sure how much MORE our family can ‘conserve’ …we are down to the bare necessity of water use and still we need to cut back….yet our water bill gets higher each month. Well folks, let’s get ready for the fires b/c all this dry, crisp landscape is going to pose a threat of a different kind.