Glendale Tightens Outdoor Watering Restrictions, Enacts Drought Charge On Water Bills

GLENDALE (CBSLA) — Water usage restrictions are about tighten again in Glendale, where the City Council approved another phase of mandatory conservation due to the ongoing drought.

Glendale's Phase III of its Mandatory Water Conservation Ordinance limits outside watering to Tuesdays and Saturdays for no more than 10 minutes each at a water station.

Phase III also carries a drought charge of about 60 cents for every 1,000 gallons of water in order to recover the portion of fixed expenses that is collected in the variable water rate, city officials said. That means even if a customer who reduces their water use will likely receive the same bill, but they could have lower bills depending on how much water they conserve.

"Although we've received some great rain in the past few weeks we are still technically in a drought," Michael De Ghetto, Glendale Water & Power's Chief Assistant General Manager of Water, said in a statement. "Moving into Phase III is mandatory to ensure we are not depleting our water reserves."

Customers who do not comply with the new water conservation restrictions, which will go into effect on Feb. 1, could receive a violation warning notice, and repeat violations could result in a fine of up to $1,000.

The easiest way to conserve is to cut down on outdoor watering, GWP officials said. The utility is also taking anonymous reports on water wasters at (818) 550-4426 or online at www.glendaleca.gov/reportwaterwaste.