Aiming to curb water use, the board of the East Bay Municipal Utility District on Tuesday mandated a 10 percent reduction districtwide, EBMUD officials said, citing a dry winter as the reason.
The vote was 6-1 to declare a stage 2 drought emergency, following the declaration of a stage 1 drought emergency a year ago. In stage 1, EBMUD asked customers to conserve water on a voluntary basis.
Stage 2 aims to cut water use by 10 percent compared with 2020, reinstates an excessive use penalty ordinance and updates restrictions on outdoor water use.
“Despite a strong rainy start in October and December, the dry winter has compelled us to move into our next phase of action to ensure we have adequate supplies in case the drought continues next year,” EBMUD Board President Douglas Linney said in a statement.
The excessive use penalty is charged to households that use more than 1,646 gallons per day. After one warning, households will be charged $2 for every 748 gallons they use above the penalty threshold.
Outdoor watering is now limited to three times per week, washing sidewalks and driveways is prohibited and cafes and restaurants may provide water only upon request.
EBMUD’s board in the future may impose a surcharge to cover the cost of buying supplemental water supplies and other costs related to the drought. If imposed, the surcharge would add about 10 cents a day to a customer’s bill.
EBMUD officials said covering the costs of the drought out of the agency’s reserves is financially infeasible, hence the surcharge.
EBMUD serves more than a million Alameda County and Contra Costa County customers with drinking water.
How about an EBMUD salary cut now? How about a reduction in water bills now? The rest of the country is laughing at California, because you effed up again (and again and again and again). Still thinking of moving out?
Let me know when they quit doing new hookups.
California continues to build more housing, strangles Agriculture to death (where your food originates), and prefers to pass water bonds which never seem to increase surface or underground water storage. It’s par for the course.
So as part of the effort to curb water usage we are stopping new residential builds, right? Right? Right?
Stop giving raises to the EBMUD board and stop building. Then maybe we can come to an some type of solution. The politicians are lining their pockets at the cost of the rest of us.
Vote in people who have common sense and put into place term limits at all levels of government.
Time for a new Governor with a brain! Not a Hollywood wannbe.
You use too much water, they fine you.
You use too little water, they complain they didn’t get enough money so you get a rate increase .
Either way, you’re f*****.
So…does that apply to my neighbors who water their lawns every other day, with well water. They have maintained the water well that the houses in our neighborhood always had. Lots of people just ignored them and let them stop working, but these neighbors kept it up and connected it to a sprinkler system. Wish the people who originally owned my house had done the same thing!
There must not be a water shortage actually if all the new housing developments are being approved … that and Palm springs planning surfing parks using a LOT of water… in the desert! .. link below
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/proposed-desert-surf-parks-stir-questions-in-dry-california/
The water scam is getting annoying. Heads you win; tails I lose. If we don’t conserve water we get charged, and if we conserve water they charge more to make up for the lack of revenue.
This is crazy….we are asked to save water while new homes are being built everywhere?! WTF, how does that work??
When inflation looms, print more money. When a drought arrives, build more houses. When your body is too warm, drink hot chocolate.
It’ll get better, you’ll see, really, trust us, it’s all transitory.
Sound familiar?
Is EBMUD really empowered to control your water usage, AND penalize you for using more than they say? If so who gave it that power? Seems like it should be a higher authority. How much of a cut will be ordered for industry, hotels, restaurants, bars, growers, etc?
How much of a discount / refund do you get for less usage of sewers and storm drains?
Environmental laws are not passed to protect air and water, they are passed to get votes.
1,600+ gallons a day is a lot of water. Just got the most recent water bill and we only used 968 gallons of water for the month. Showers are taken, dishes washed, toilets flushed, normal living is happening. Looked at last August bill and we used 1,429 gallons for the month and that included watering a front yard.
Wondering what the heck people are doing to use 1,600+ a day
We’ll be eating the bugs in our pods soon, boys!
We have to build housing. The housing shortage isn’t going away and people need somewhere to live. The issue is with the watering of landscape at houses and commercial buildings. If we cut back on the watering of grass most of the issues will be resolved. As Well Folks said, 1600+ gallons/day is a lot of water. And a $2 penalty for going way above is a joke.