Sprinkling yards and washing cars may get a whole lot pricier in California, where regulators are mulling measures to preserve water supplies that includes hefty fines — up to $500 per day — for those who use too much.
The State Water Resources Control Board is set to gather on Tuesday in Sacramento and decide yay or nay to the proposed policy, The Associated Press reported.
The policy recommendation specifically bans any landscape watering that spills water on sidewalks or streets; prohibits the hosing down of sidewalks or driveways; and bans the washing of cars and trucks with hoses that aren’t fitted with shut-off nozzles.
Violators would be fined — and the fines could hit up to $500 for each day the violation occurs, AP said.
The board’s logic is that the regulations could save enough water to serve more than 3.5 million people each year. Board members also clarify that the individual cities could actually set the amounts of fines, beginning with a warning and using a sliding scale for repeat offenders.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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