Water emergency downgraded
Council declares stage 2 water warning
The topic of water conservation was back on the agenda at the Fort Bragg City Council meeting last week. The council members passed a resolution to move the City from a Stage 4 Water Crisis to a Stage 2 Water Warning. With rain beginning to fall and with more forecast in the coming days, the downgrade resulted from increased water supply from the City’s new desalinization unit, increased flows in the Noyo River, and the City’s ability to restore Summers Lane Reservoir to full capacity.
On October 8, the City hosted a small informal ribbon-cutting ceremony and allowed members of the public to see the Desalination-Reverse Osmosis Treatment System in operation. The desalinization unit can provide as much as 25% of the City’s daily water supply needs during high tide cycles.
Mandatory Stage 2 Water restrictions prohibit wasteful usage of water and that all water usage must be for beneficial uses. During any such water use, water shall stay confined to the customer’s property and is not allowed to run off onto any adjoining property, public sidewalk, street, or parking lot. All water use should not exceed the point of saturation.
Customers may water for landscape irrigation, but are limited to two days per week and is only allowed on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 12:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and 6:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Customers may use a drip irrigation system any day of the week.
Any water used to wash streets, parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, buildings, or any other hardscape surfaces is prohibited except with an approved exemption form available from the City.
Restaurants shall serve water only upon specific requisition. Hotels and lodging establishments shall not provide patrons with stays of three days or less daily laundering of towels, sheets, and linens. Lodges must prominently display notice of this requirement in each room.
Pools, spas, and ornamental fountains shall be equipped with a recirculating pump and shall be leakproof, and all water leaks must be repaired as soon as feasible but no later than three days after notification.