Water conservation may become mandatory

Local water districts are considering tougher measures to convince the public that water conservation is vital in Southern California.

Due to a prolonged drought and a court-ordered sanction that limits the amount of water flowing from northern to southern parts of California, water conservation is receiving greater scrutiny. In L.A. County, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District asked for voluntary conservation programs in January and mandatory measures in July, but, according to LVMWD officials, water consumption has still risen by 10 percent since the beginning of the year.

Part of the problem, said LVMWD General Manager John Mundy, is that the district hasn't imposed fines or sanctions. The tougher measures are expected to be discussed when the water district board meets on Oct. 28.

Triunfo Sanitation District, an agency that operates the Oak Park Water Service, is also reviewing measures that will penalize socalled "water hogs" but will first initiate a voluntary conservation program.

Oak Park Water Service, along with water agencies in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark and Camarillo, receive potable water from the Calleguas Municipal Water District in Thousand Oaks.

Both Las Virgenes and Calleguas, in turn, obtain water from the larger Metropolitan Water District.

Las Virgenes currently requires residents to sweep their driveways with a broom rather than washing it with a hose and to refrain from watering their yards between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Restaurants are told to serve water to customers only if requested, and hotels are required to notify guests that they have the option of reusing linens during multinight stays.

Residents are also being asked to water their yards one less day a week and to use a carwash, not a garden hose, to wash vehicles.

Agricultural users have been told to reduce consumption by 30 percent.

LVMWD spokesperson Jeff Reinhardt said the biggest culprit is outdoor irrigation, where more than 70 percent of residential supplies are consumed.

"If a family is looking to conserve water, that's the first place they can make changes," Reinhardt said.

One angry resident with an eye toward conservation hatched the idea of printing the names of chronic over-users in the Acorn, but Mundy said the district cannot go to such an extreme.

"Voluntary efforts haven't produced enough water savings to convince people to cut back on their water usage," Mundy said.

And stronger measures might be harsh.

"A water supply restriction situation may be painful for our customers," Mundy said.