OAKLAND (KRON) — The East Bay Municipal Utility District has voted Tuesday afternoon to suspend penalties for excessive water users as California’s drought conditions begin to ease.
Citing the recent wet winter that came after seasons of extreme drought, the district’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to suspend the Excessive Water Use Penalty Ordinance, effective May 3.
EBMUD officials said they do not see the need to charge the fines any longer, given the fact residents have done a good job conserving water.
The ordinance was initially adopted in April 2015 by a nearly unanimous vote by the EBMUD board in order to penalize customers using more than 1,000 gallons of water each day.
Specifically, the ordinance fined single-family residential customers $2 for each unit – or 748 gallons – used after crossing over an 80-unit threshold.
EBMUD officials said the ordinance was effective in curbing excessive water use. Of the about 5,600 customers fined, around 75 percent reduced their water use to avoid another penalty, EBMUD officials reported.
Although EBMUD officials said it was not intended to be an additional disincentive, the district periodically released names of violators of the ordinance based on media requests.
A few of the wide-ranging individuals named on EBMUD’s lists of violators included San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov, Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil, former Chevron executive George Kirkland and Safeway CEO Steven Burd.
There will be another two of these lists released, naming the final violators of the penalty before it is suspended, according to EBMUD.
The penalty ordinance “will remain on the books,” EBMUD officials said, in the case an emergency conservation tool is needed to respond to future droughts.
Last week, California water districts large and small urged regulators to toss out or significantly relax emergency drought orders requiring residents to take shorter showers and let their lawns turn brown.
The State Water Board last Wednesday held an informational workshop to determine the future of urban water conservation in the state. California cities are under orders to use at least 20 percent less water.
Dave Bolland of the Association of California Water Agencies said in a letter to the board that it is time to end the restrictions statewide.
The East Bay Municipal Utility District issued a statement on the letter last week.
Improved precipitation and snow this winter raised water levels at EBMUD’s Pardee, Camanche and East Bay reservoirs. Currently, our reservoirs combined are 71 percent full. Following the state’s determination on the water needs of California as a whole, the EBMUD Board of Directors will evaluate our improved drought status and consider easing conservation targets, water use restrictions and other measures. EBMUD will review these actions on May 24.
Bay City News contributed to this report