California cracks down on water use in drought. Here’s what could get you fined $500

Californians could get fined $500 for wasting water under emergency drought regulations approved Tuesday by the State Water Resources Control Board.

What constitutes wasting water? Here are the main restrictions on what the board calls “the unreasonable use of water.”

▪ Watering lawns and landscapes so heavily that runoff flows onto sidewalks, streets and neighbors’ properties.

▪ Washing cars without installing a shutoff nozzle on the hose.

▪ Watering lawns within 48 hours of a “measureable rainfall” of at least a quarter-inch.

▪ Using potable water to wash sidewalks, driveways and buildings unless there’s a health and safety reason for doing so.

▪ Using potable water to fill decorative fountains or ponds.

▪ Municipalities can’t use potable water to irrigate turf, flowers or other landscaping on street medians.

The rules will sound familiar to many Californians. The city of Sacramento and some of its suburbs have similar restrictions already in place. Now the rules are going statewide and will carry the threat of fines.

The water board said enforcement will be handled locally, not by the state itself. The agency added that it assumes most local governments will spend their time educating residents to help them follow the rules — and will use fines only for repeated or flagrant violations.

Addressing equity issues, the board declared that “penalties must be based on an ability to pay,” and local governments should consider giving residents a year to pay any fines. In addition, no one’s water will be shut off because of violations.

Board officials acknowledged the oddity of imposing rules during winter, when outdoor water usage drops off anyway. But Californians have struggled to meet Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for 15% water conservation, and officials said there’s no guarantee that the recent rain and snow will continue. Early forecasts suggest the next three months could be drier than usual, state hydrologist Michael Anderson told reporters Tuesday.

The rules will last a year, although they could be extended depending on drought conditions.

This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 11:44 AM with the headline "California cracks down on water use in drought. Here’s what could get you fined $500."