Imperial lifts watering limits
IMPERIAL — The city of Imperial became the second in the Valley to rescind the watering days restriction following the State Water Resources Control Board’s decision last week to approve the city’s zero conservation target.
In June the state dropped the mandatory conservation targets imposed by Gov. Jerry Brown in May 2015. Instead the state decided to allow local cities and water districts to self-impose their own targets according to what the state calls “stress tests” to analyze if the cities have enough water supply available to meet its demand should drought conditions persist for the next three years.
The cities of Brawley, El Centro and Imperial self-imposed conservation targets of zero.
Imperial City Council had a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the watering days restriction and voted in favor of lifting the restriction. Residents are now permitted to water any day of the week.
“I think this is very positive, people want to water their yards, their trees when they need to,” said executive assistant for the city manager’s office Alexis Brown. “We appreciate the public understanding of why we had to implement it.”
Although Imperial residents will now be allowed to water every day, officials emphasized that they are still obligated to follow the drought regulations put in place by Gov. Jerry Brown in May.
The drought rules prohibit the watering of lawns within 48 hours of measurable rain, hosing off sidewalks, driveways and other hardscapes, washing automobiles with hoses not equipped with a shutoff nozzle and watering lawns in a manner that causes runoff.
“We will still have water enforcement officer who will be patrolling the city to make sure people adhere to the state mandates.”
Although lifting the two-day watering restriction will provide relief for the community, building official Othon Mora said the main issue with water conservation has been the amount of water that is wasted by some users.
“One of the big issues was concerning water run-off and the amount of water some people waste when they water,” Mora said. “It is difficult for some to understand that they can’t waste water like that.”
The first city to nix its watering day restriction was El Centro, a city official said last week and the City Council confirmed earlier this week.
El Centro had adopted a three-day watering schedule for the summer and two-day schedule for the winter months when the state imposed water regulation targets last year.
Brown said she doesn’t anticipate the city of Imperial making any other changes regarding water in the foreseeable future. Mora noted that if the state as a whole falls back on conservation dramatically the state can come back and impose conservation mandates once again.
Officials said citations and fines will still be issued to Imperial residents for water violations.
To report watering violations please call the city’s water conservation hotline at 760-266-SAVE.