Sacramento Utility Warns Water Wasters Could Be Cut Off If They Don't Cut Back
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — American Water Utility Sacramento may be forced to restrict or cut off water to people who waste it, saying if people don't start cutting back, it may have no choice.
Audie Foster with the private utility says its customers have been very proactive in conserving water.
"We are so proud of our customers in the last year of this drought," he said.
American Water serves more than 180,000 people and businesses in Sacramento and Placer counties. But as the drought drags on, and if customers begin to waste water, the utility company says it may be forced to take drastic measures.
"Which could possibly include flow restrictions and or shutting off for wasteful water use," he said.
The utility company would install a device at the home or business that would either slow the flow of water or shut it down altogether, along with the threat of hundreds of dollars in fines.
Eloise Leong is one of several people in a Sacramento neighborhood who share water in a community garden co-op. She doesn't have a problem with a forced restricted flow for water wasters, and neither does Jose Diaz.
"Yesterday I turned my sprinklers off because I knew it was going to rain and today people are still using water," he said.
American Water say at this point, it's not even close to restricting or cutting off water, but it has a message to those who might waste it as the long dry season looms for the state.
"We like nothing more than to help you use your water wisely and work with our conservation efforts so that we don't ever have to get to those efforts locally," Foster said.
The company says it couldn't show CBS13 the flow restriction device because they are concerned violators could look for ways to work around it.