On Aug. 29, 2016, the Governor approved Senate Bill 814 which requires urban water suppliers to establish a method to identify and discourage residential excessive water use. The legislation applies to residential customers only and authorizes water agencies to charge residential customers for excessive water use.
In response, the Turlock City Council has approved an ordinance that allows an excessive water use penalty to be assessed to utility customers whose monthly consumption exceeds 40,000 gallons. Those who are issued a first penalty will have the opportunity to have the fee waived by completing an online water conservation course.
Single-family residential users account for approximately 46 percent of all potable water used in Turlock. During the summer months, the water demand by single-family homes increases by 300 percent, with two-thirds of this water used for landscape irrigation. Such a large fluctuation in demand has the effect of overburdening the City’s limited water resources and water supply infrastructure.
Reducing excessive water use has multiple benefits to the City. These benefits include: extending the availability of the limited resource, reducing the need for oversized water infrastructure, furthering the goal of efficient use of water, and lowering peak demands which will also reduce the demand on existing wells.
For more information on the Excessive Water Use Penalty Fee Ordinance, or water conservation in general, contact the Municipal Services Department at (209) 668-5590 or visit the website at www.CityofTurlock.org. Brought to you by the City of Turlock Municipal Services Department.
WATER CONSERVATION TIP #83
Only rain down the storm drains: If you have witnessed anything other than rain water entering a storm drain, please report it to the City of Turlock's Municipal Services Department by either calling (209) 668-5590 or filling out the online “Report Water Pollution” form which can be found at: http://ci.turlock.ca.us/watersewergarbageservice/waterquality/reportstormdrainpollution.asp
