Antioch City Council Approves Fines for Wasting Water

Antioch residents who do not cut back on water use could now be fined after the city council approved expanded conservation efforts Tuesday.

Antioch, who is attempting to comply with the States requirement of reducing water use by 28%, approved expanded conservation measures to assist them in that goal by moving towards a Stage III of the City’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan. In Stage III, it includes penalties.

Fines for Violations or Prohibitions include:

• Fine for first offense: $100 a day
• Fine for second offense: $200 a day
• Fine for third and each subsequent offense: $500 per day

According to the Staff Report, Antioch’s usage has been determined to be 141 gallons/capita/day placing it in the 28% conservation tier.

Water Use Prohibitions Single Family & Multi-Family Residential Customers

1. Watering of outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes excessive runoff such as that water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, private and public walkways, roadways, parking lots, or structures.
2. Watering of outdoor landscapes during and up to 48-hours after measurable rainful
3. Watering outdoor landscapes more than three days per week
4. Watering outdoor landscapes during the daylight hours of 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
5. Washing a vehicle, trailer, or boat using a hose without a shut off nozzle
6. Washing paved or other hand surfaced areas include sidewalks, walkways, driveways, patios and parking areas
7. Use of water for non-recirculating decorative founds or filling decorative lakes or ponds
8. Using a hose without an automatic shutoff nozzle
9. Failing to repair a controllable leak or water

Water Use Prohibitions Non-Residential Customers as listed above, plus:

1. Serving of drinking water other than upon request in eating or drinking establishments, including by not limited to restaurants, hotels, cafes, cafeterias, bars, or other public places where food or drink are served and/or purchased.
2. Operators of hotels and motels shall provide guests with the option of choosing not to have towels and linens laundered daily. A notice shall be prominently displayed in each bathroom.

Within the resolution, they say customers who use water for irrigation purposes shall irrigate no more than three times per week as follows:

1. Customers with even numbered addresses shall water on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
2. Customers with odd numbered addresses shall water on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.