The City of Santa Ana announced this week that “under their approved emergency water regulations, they have declared a Level 1 Water Shortage. This means every municipal water user must reduce their consumption by 3 percent compared to their usage during the same time period last year. Failure to achieve the 3 percent conservation reduction the first time will result in a warning to increase your conservation efforts. Continuous failure to conserve may result in a 15 percent penalty on your water bill.
The City has made the information about their water regulations readily available online. However according to the City’s Water Conservation Ordinance No. NS-2781, which was passed by the City on April, 20, 2009, the City was also supposed to:
When a water shortage appears imminent, the City Manager notifies the City Council and recommends holding a public hearing for the purpose of determining whether a water shortage emergency exists. If the City Council determines that a water shortage exists, it then makes the decision as to the appropriate phase of the Ordinance to implement.” Continue reading