The Lake Havasu City Council is finalizing plans for how the city will respond and what water conservation measures it will require businesses and residents to take in various water scarcity situations on the Colorado River.
On Tuesday, the city council unanimously voted to introduce an ordinance incorporating these plans into city law and set penalties associated with violations of these safeguards. The ordinance introduced is largely consistent with the proposal put forward by the staff, with some minor changes made by Congress.
The council elected to remove the proposed requirement that vehicles and boats be washed only at commercial car washes during Tier 3 water shortages, replacing the requirement that vehicles and vessels cannot be washed without auto-stop nozzles. replaced. The council also changed the wording of the proposed code to allow cleaning of buildings and impervious surfaces during Tier 1 shortages if auto-shutoff nozzles are used.
Assistant mayor Anthony Kozlowski said the proposal is subject to change until it is formally adopted by the city council.
“We have received a lot of feedback from residents and businesses,” Kozlowski said. “This document is subject to change as we continue to collect feedback and thoughts on water conservation. As we implement this, education remains at the forefront of what we do. that is important.”
Kozlowski said any citizen or business wishing to comment on the proposed ordinance can contact him at 928-854-4278 or email. kozlowskia@havasunews.com.
The proposed ordinance will be returned to the Board at its next meeting on January 24 for formal adoption. If the Council adopts new ordinances at its meeting, the new regulations will come into force on February 23, 30 days after he.
The proposed ordinance sets out measures to conserve water under normal conditions when the federal government has not declared water shortages, which is the most permissive regulation and the least penalties. The ordinance establishes additional actions to be taken when the Bureau of Development declares a Tier 1 shortage, a Tier 2 shortage, and a Tier 3 shortage. The most restrictive measures and severe penalties are in place if Havasu faces a “wet water shortage”, i.e. when the demand for water is greater than the amount of water available.
“We could be forced to the point where we can’t use the water we have rights to,” city administrator Jess Knudson told the council. “That’s what we’re up against.”
The Bureau of Reclamation has declared a Tier 2 water shortage in 2023, so if the Council adopts a Water Conservation Ordinance at its next meeting, all Tier 2 water conservation measures will become mandatory from 23 February.
“The urgency of doing this now is when we adopt the Water Conservation Plan in 2020 before the tier shortage is called,” said Mayor Cal Sheehy. “At the time, we said we would give the public and our businesses confidence in what it means when they encounter Tier 2, Tier 3, or wet water shortages. But it’s all education driven.”
Focus on enforcement, penalties and education
Assistant mayor Anthony Kozlowski told the city council that implementing these new measures will include a broader public outreach by the city and education about water conservation on social media.
“Based on the past 30 years here in Lake Havasu City, we know citizens are responding to education,” said Sheehy. “We are one of the most thoughtful water users in the entire system. Compared to the 1990s, as our population grows, we actually use less water. Our citizens is involved in that process, so we know it works.”
Kozlowski said enforcing water conservation measures would be handled like any other ordinance enforcement issue in the city. Havasu uses a reactive code enforcement approach that addresses code violations only when a formal complaint is filed with the City.
“As far as enforcement is concerned, a lot of this will be tied to neighbors confirming that conservation is important across communities,” Kozlowski said.
However, Kozlowski said that even when a complaint is filed, education and obtaining compliance will be the primary goals, rather than jumping right to financial repercussions.
During a Tier 1 or Tier 2 water shortage, the ordinance states that water users will receive written notice of the violation and the first violation will require a water audit of the facility. If she commits a second offense within 12 months, she will be fined $250 and he will be fined up to $1,000. The city suspends water service for her fourth violation.
“Education is important,” said Kozlowski. “So on that first offence, we educate them on how to save money. fall into.”
Several council members said they liked the approach because of how well the focus on education and compliance works in Havasu’s other rule enforcement efforts.
“Our code enforcement is lighter than any city I have ever seen. noted that they have personally worked with law enforcement officers on multiple issues over the years. The last thing they want to do is fine you.”
But if water shortages continue to worsen, the ordinance’s penalties for Tier 3 shortages and wet water shortages include a $500 fine for the first violation.
Conversely, under normal water conditions with no declared water scarcity, the first violation will result in a verbal warning to the water user, and the second violation will result in a written warning and the required water audit. Fines are not issued under normal conditions until 3 or more violations occur in a 12-month period.
