Drought ordinance approved. Beginning April 22, 2015, Arcadia water customers can water on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, after 6:00 PM and before 9:00 AM only.
Efforts to reduce water use continue in Arcadia. Sprinkler station cycles are limited to 10 minutes. The new water use restrictions limit outdoor watering of grass and plants to two days per week, Tuesday and Saturday, before 9 AM and after 6 PM.
Residents will no longer pay penalties for using too much water starting in January, after the City Council decided Tuesday that the existing system was unfair.
State drought. Overall California residents cut water use by 27% in June, beating governor's mandate, but some cities fall short. Arcadia's target was a 36% reduction but in June, the city achieved a 28% reduction.
California has implemented mandatory watering conservation measures in order to save 25%, beginning June 1. Arcadia is required to cut up to 36% of its water use in the next 9 months, based on this community's previous water usage. Two articles on San Gabriel Valley water by Steve Scauzillo. See hard copy in VF Water.
Arcadia City Council tightens regulations on water use. Outdoor irrigation citywide is restricted, by a newly passed ordinance, to 3 days a week-Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Watering is prohibited between 9 AM and 6 PM, in addition to "during and 48 hours after measurable rainfall." Arcadia City Council approves purchase of replacement water ahead of time. See hard copy in VF "Water."
Arcadia City Council will vote on a modest water conservation plan that will ban water usage in fountains, restrict water service at restaurants, and ban outdoor watering between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. The City's plan is not as drastic as measures taken by many other California cities amid the state's severe drought conditions. The City is required to adopt a conservation plan following the State Water Resources Control Board's decision to impose emergency conservation regulations.
Speaker of the House John Boehner disagrees with Arcadia's water conservation policy. He posted on his Facebook page that Arcadia government's sign "It's green to go brown" is an example of "liberal environmentalists' backwards priorities and regressive ideology of restriction and scarcity." City manager Dominic Lazzaretto has a retort that Arcadia would happily accept thousands of acre-feet of water to keep our lawns green if he sent it but that our priority is drinking water during this drought.
Arcadia to deliberate implementation of Phase I of prohibited water use at August 5 City Council meeting. The State Water Board recently adopted an Emergency Regulation for statewide urban water conservation. Photo of Peacock Fountain.
Arcadia enacts water limits. City pushes 20% reduction goal by 2020 as other cities ease restrictions. The City's water conservation program is mandatory.
The City Council approved a mandatory water conservation program that requires a 10% decrease in water use by all residents, as well as the use of penalties if residents use more than their share of water.
Arcadia issues $10,000 in fines since June to homeowners who have not been helping the city reach its water conservation rate of 36% amid California's worst drought on record, and installs flow restrictors on homes.
City officials are alerting residents to a temporary situation where the water will be brown and should not be used to wash laundry or dishes as it may stain.
Arcadia spends $2 million on water to offset needs for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. It is the second purchase of its kind since April. The 3000 acre-feet of water was purchased from the Upper San Gabriel Valley Water District, will be stored in a cyclic storage account in main groundwater basin, which supplies a major portion of the city's drinking water.
Arcadia residents saved 22% more water over the past seven months than they did in the same period last year. Arcadia Water Manager Eldon Davidson attributed the mandatory 10% reduction program implemented by the City in February.