SANTA CRUZ – The City of Santa Cruz reminds Santa Cruz Municipal Utilities customers that water rationing began Thursday, May 1.
Residents in single family homes are allotted 249 gallons of water per day, which averages about 60 gallons per person for a family of four. Households with more than four members can request an additional allotment; households with less than four members are asked to keep their use to 60 gallons per person per day.
Penalties begin to accrue when customers have used ten percent or more than their allotment. The first ten percent over is $25 and each ten percent after that is billed at $50.
Customers with billing cycles that begin in April and end in May won’t be subject to penalties. Billing cycles that begin in May and end in June will be subject to fines if customers use more than their share of water.
“Our goal is to not penalize customers,” said Rosemary Menard, City Water Director. “Our goal is to help our customers be mindful about their use of our scarce water supply.”
The City’s highest priority for water use is health and safety, and the 60-gallon per person allotment is designed to provide enough water for indoor household use, but not for outdoor household irrigation.
Water department staff will begin enforcing water restrictions May 1 by visiting neighborhoods to observe leaks on sidewalks and in gutters, misuse and violations of water restriction rules. Violators will be notified either by phone or by mail.
“We’ve found in the past that nine out of ten people who are notified of water use violations have no idea of their misuse and are anxious to learn how to correct it,” said Menard. “Our staff will be in the community looking for opportunities to educate, not to reprimand.”
City water customers are encouraged to visit the City’s drought web page for detailed information on water rationing, as well as for conservation information on how to save water. For more information, visit www.cityofsantacruz.com/drought or www.facebook.com/SantaCruzWaterDepartment.