The state’s money problems are taking a $200 million bite out of funding for drinking and wastewater projects.
The state Water Resources Control Board voted Tuesday to approve the cuts as part of a statewide belt tightening effort.
To address drought conditions, one California region is considering penalizing residents who exceed their “water budget,” a figure based on the property size and the number of residents in a household.
The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) will increase fines on residents who use too much water. It is also considering restricting the flow of water to households that have repeatedly disregarded conservation efforts. The flow restrictors will be reserved for homes that have been fined for overuse for three months or longer.
In a wealthy enclave along the Santa Monica Mountains that is a haven for celebrities, residents are now facing more aggressive consequences for wasting water.
The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District northwest of Los Angeles hopes to spur water savings by making it easier to fine households that go over their allotted “water budgets” and threatening to vastly limit water flow to customers who repeatedly fail to conserve.
In the latest fallout from the worsening drought, residents of San Jose — which received the lowest rainfall in its recorded history last year — and surrounding communities are about to be given tougher water conservation rules than any major city in California.
The San Jose Water Company, a private firm that provides drinking water to 1 million people in San Jose, Cupertino, Campbell, Los Gatos, Saratoga and Monte Sereno, has begun sending notices to residents informing them it is moving forward with mandatory rules to set monthly residential water budgets with financial penalties for homeowners who exceed them.
Last week, watching an erroneous news story on a Los Angeles TV station, many listeners were shocked to learn that a new state law would limit them to 55 gallons per day indoor water use; and that they could face $1,000 penalties for laundering and showering on the same day.
The news story was wrong, but not THAT wrong.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget leaves several Camp Fire-beleaguered agencies hanging, including a water district that has requested a $22 million state bailout while it deals with mass contamination of the Paradise drinking water. Newsom, in his announced budget Thursday, said he would provide $10 million in one-time funds to support Butte County “communities in their recovery from the unprecedented devastation of the Camp Fire.” That amount, though, is considerably less than the $30 million-plus requested by a handful of local governments who say they are struggling to maintain basic services in the wake of the November fire that destroyed most of Paradise, Concow and Magalia, and sent thousands of refugees to temporarily live in Chico, Oroville and other nearby towns.
The proposed budget that Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer unveiled Thursday is getting praise for avoiding major cuts to key programs, but City Council Democrats say they are eager to analyze the spending plan more closely. Faulconer is touting his $1.57 billion budget, which would cover the fiscal year that starts July 1, as a proposal that reflects priorities shared by residents across San Diego.
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer unveiled his proposed budget for fiscal year 2020 on Thursday, saying it includes the highest infrastructure investment in the city’s history. The proposed $4.15 billion budget is a 19.5% increase over the city’s fiscal year 2019 budget. Despite the spending hike of nearly $700 million, Faulconer was still forced to make an estimated $15.3 million in cuts to various line items such as civilian staff in the police department and tree trimming services.
The Santa Fe Irrigation District board got a look on Thursday, May 17, at the water agency’s proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, a spending plan that calls for $30.8 million in operational costs and $10.4 million in capital projects. A public hearing is set for June 21 when the board can approve the final budget for the coming year. The budget anticipates an 8 percent increase in water sales, to 10,170 acre feet. The total includes 450 acre feet of recycled water. (An acre-foot is equivalent to 325,851 gallons).
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
