Conservation measure met with concern; Havasu mulls strict new water-use law that irks some citizens

By John Rudolf

Today's News-Herald

LAKE HAVASU CITY - City officials introduced a wide-ranging water conservation ordinance at the second of two initial public meetings April 17, and met with a variety of questions and concerns that appear to foretell a difficult path for the new law.

The ordinance would amend city water laws to restrict irrigation and to codify the city's response if an official shortage is declared.

It would for the first time create strict schedules for irrigation within the city, setting specific days that residential and non-residential users can water lawns and landscaping.

The new law is a response to the rising probability of shortages developing on the Colorado River, due to a severe regional drought and booming demand from cities and farms.

Lake Havasu City draws all of its water from the Colorado River.

Levels in Lake Mead have dropped by about 30 feet each year for the last two years, leaving the reservoir only half full. Were the reservoir to drop another 60 feet, the first of a series of increasingly severe shortages would be imposed on water users in the lower Colorado River basin.

“If and when a shortage does occur, we've got to be ready for it,” said Doyle Wilson, the city's water resource manager.

While the snowpack, which feeds the river is high this year, portending a small rise in Mead's elevation, increasing demand and the possibility of more dry weather in the future make a shortage within the next 10 years a significant possibility.

Putting the regulations in place now would help prepare city residents to the rigors of water shortages that have already hit drought-afflicted communities in California, Nevada and most recently the Southeast region of the country.

“The main point is to get people used to doing this,” Wilson said. “If it's in place, and people are used to doing this, when there are restrictions they won't be as painful.”

The law is modeled after similar water ordinances in Tucson, Flagstaff and Las Vegas.

During the warm weather months of May through September, landscape watering would be limited to three days per week. Properties with even addresses would be allowed to water on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, while properties with odd addresses could water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Watering on Monday would be prohibited.

During cool weather months, watering would be limited to once a week.

Irrigation also could be limited from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. during warm months, and from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. the rest of the year.

A change to the law from an earlier draft would make restriction on total watering time voluntary, not mandatory.

In the event of an official water shortage, further restrictions would go into effect. If the city's annual allocation were in danger of being exceeded and the threat of an overrun existed, the law would allow the city manager to declare a total ban on irrigation. Construction projects would be obligated to develop water conservation plans, outside water features, such as waterfalls and fountains, would have to shut down, and washing vehicles and boats outside of a car wash would be prohibited. Draining pools would be forbidden.

The law also would contain provisions for enforcement that would begin with warnings and escalate to fines. A reporting hotline, modeled after the police department's Silent Witness program, also is envisioned, which would allow residents to anonymously report water theft or violations of water law.

Virtually every aspect of the law came in for criticism from the public at the meeting.

“I realize this was well-intentioned, but it really misses the boat,” said resident Jim Liesen.

Liesen's critiqued the ordinance's reliance on mandatory restrictions, enforced by the threat of heavy fines. “A free market approach would be far more effective in conserving water than a six-page enforcement document,” he said.

Liesen advocated a system of increasing water rates to encourage users to cut down.

A similar water rate structure exists now, and has shown to be effective. In particular, when rates for the sewer climbed sharply, usage fell dramatically.

Yet others questioned whether drastically more expensive water would be the best solution.

“I think what you're doing here is priming us for higher water rates,” said resident Peter Freestone. “You've got people in this town, when you add their sewer and water bills together are already $150 a month. You keep raising the rates, you're going to run us out of town.”

The city already has several ordinances and resolutions regarding water conservation. Yet when compared to other Arizona cities, like Tucson and Flagstaff, Lake Havasu City's water measures fall short in effectiveness.

According to Wilson, only two laws on the books have an appreciable impact on residents' water use. One is an ordinance dictating that all homes built after 1990 use low-flow plumbing fixtures. Another is a scaled water rate fee that increases rates according to the volume of water used.

Another ordinance dictates that landscaping materials be drawn from a list of low-water-intensive plants, bushes and shrubs. The ordinance also restricts the use of outdoor features such as waterfalls, ponds and pools.

Yet that law lacks an enforcement mechanism, blunting its effectiveness.