As the fourth-year drought shrinks water supply, Golden State Water Co. officials laid out plans Friday night at the first in a series of workshops for curbing usage by the provider’s 9,500 Culver City customers.
Four stages of gradual but unbending water usage were laid out, beginning on an unspecified but relatively near date.
- Stage 1’s major component is that irrigation outdoors will be limited to two days per week. For residents whose addresses end in an odd number, watering will be permitted on Tuesdays and Saturdays, between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m.
- Residents whose addresses end in an even number will be allowed to water on Wednesdays and Sundays.
When the question was raised, “Can my watering day be changed?” the notion was rejected.
It was explained that the days were assigned to make enforcement easier. Driving down the street, an officer swiftly can verify if there has been a violation.
Permisible water usage amounts will be based on the customer’s usage for the same month in 2013.
In Stage 2, penalties begin to take effect. They rise with each succeeding stage.
Officials promised that invoices to customers will fully cover all potential questions.
If not:
Golden State has a special website (www.gswater.com/drought) and an 800 telephone number. 999.4033.
They Were Primed
At the starting hour of 6 o’clock, the Rotunda Room at the Vets Auditorium was at capacity, perhaps 100 residents. They were curious to know how Golden State plans to meet Culver City’s state-mandated rationing of water usage by 16 percent, among the lighter assigned restrictions. California communities have been ordered to reduce their water usage by between 4 percent and 36 percent.
Charles Herbertson, the city’s Public Works director, was present. He was asked if there was an explanation for Culver City’s modest reduction rate.
“Just that it is all based on the average use per residential unit,” he said. “Ours is lower than other agencies that have a higher target, and higher than other agencies that have a lower target.
“That is how the state calculates it – how much are you using compared to other agencies statewide,” Mr. Herbertson said.
“The purpose is to try to give credit to the cities that already have implemented strategies to conserve.
“The state has come up with a system that I think is fair.”
After a contextual 30-minute opening presentation, backgrounding the crowd on the drought and decisions by the state Water Resources Board, questions were answered for the next 30 minutes of the hour-long program.
