A $600,000 grant from the Azusa-based San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountain Conservancy, plus $200,000 of in-kind amenities provided by the County Department of Parks and Recreation, will help fund a face lift for Peck Road Park at 5401 Peck Road.
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.
Arcadia city officials have adopted a voluntary water conservation program that aims to reduce annual water consumption by 10 percent. Currently there is a state wide drought and a local water supply shortage. Metropolitan Water District (MWD) has voted to raise water rates 14 percent in July 2009. The other two main sources of the city's water are the Main San Gabriel Basin and Raymond Basin.
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.
Arcadia unanimously adopts resolution for mandatory water prohibitions to support water conservation. These prohibitions are unique to Arcadia and include: no hose washing, no lawn, landscape, or turf areas to be watered between 10am and 4pm. No leaks permitted. No drinking water to be served unless customer requests.
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.
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.
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.