Water Department contemplating Stage 2 water alert
Stacy Aldstadt, general manager of the San Bernardino Municipal Water Department, said drought conditions could result in the announcement of a Stage 2 water alert.
Under such an alert, residents and businesses would be required to cut their water use from 2008 amounts by 5 percent. The Water Department would impose a surcharge on water use above and beyond that amount.
Parks and golf courses would not be allowed to water landscaping more than four days per week.
But it's not yet certain that those restrictions will be imposed.
"Overall demand from our area has gone down because of foreclosures and other conservation measures," she said.
A real estate crisis is probably not the way most people would go about water conservation, but there might be some anarcho-primitivists out there who would be cool with the idea.
In terms of conservation measures that the Water Department is actually working on, Aldstadt noted that officials are trying to cut back H2O usage at parks.
Randy Van Gelder, general manager of the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, said his agency and Aldstadt's department are splitting the cost of an effort that uses technology to reduce irrigation at city parks.
Called the Weather Based Irrigation Controller Program, the system uses weather data to control irrigation at parks. The idea is to use less water when nature is providing enough rainfall.
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Andrew Edwards. E-mail Andrew here.
oh no here we go....laying the ground work to boost revenues by sticking it the rate payers....wasnt San Bernardino suppose to be plentiful with water....for a lakes and streams project?....just more B.S. to stick it to the consumer...does the water department have a retreat planned for the employees?...or maybe its time for bonuses!.....what a bunch of slack jawed asses....
Well...maybe they need more revnue....not that many customers in San Bernardino water their lawns so they aren't getting the revnue!
CAl and Gary :
You are so right on. They have gouged us with the Zone fee with no real proof it was needed , other than the hidden agenda of: to recoup losses on Lakes and Streams project.
Gravity is a wondrful thing. Zone fee is for pumping water up to where? Their fisrt wells are up in Cajon creek above Devore( 3). They still have to get the water to the tanks to sell it to you down hill from the tanks! They are not pumping it to your house and never have!Gravity is a wonderful thing!!!
According to the zone fee, it is based on your usage.
Well, lower usage = lower costs , as should the water usage drop, cause lower operating costs.
But no, The water department, must have a certain amount of income even though their sales are down.
Gee , I thought lower operating costs would be a good thing. So now they depend on us to use more water , or just raise the price if we don't use more water! And they tell us "DON'T USE MORE WATER"! More gouging headed our way!
So now we are to use less and pay more for less operationg costs, just to maintain their living standard. Watch them raise the zone fee too, as they will B> S> us on the energy cost going up too , if you can believe that. They are going to sell less water, and raise the zone fee for increased energy cost for actual less energy used??????
Which is it? cost related to price or greed related to price?
#218 stated revenues are based on cost and not for profit. The zone fee is pure profit based on the reason they charge it( energy they say).
Here is a utility, that sets it's living standard on a set income, yet sells a product that the costs parallel with sales. Nothing has changed and we have one hell of a lot of water at our disposal( if they don't sell it out from under us ,to other cities to recoup their lakes and stream losses).
And who will complain to the water department over this B S move? Maybe the same 10 people from the zone fee fiasco!
People, wake up. Use some of the water to clear your eyes ( no better not, can't rely on contents). This is standard Operating proceedures to get more from your piggy banks. Lord knows , your wallets are empty by now!