Water mandate goes too far
With the declaration of a Level 1 supply shortage two weeks ago, all water users in Simi Valley without an electronic irrigation controller may now only water their lawns, landscape or vegetation three days a week. What’s worse, the city has established which three days those will be: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. And if the Level 1 shortage persists until Nov. 1, that limit would be decreased to two days a week: Monday and Thursday.
Since Gov. Schwarzenegger declared a drought state of emergency in February, and Southern California’s largest water supplier, the Metropolitan Water District, implemented mandatory water conservation restrictions in April, city leaders everywhere have been scrambling to reduce demand.
The city, like other municipalities across the state, is in a difficult position—lower demand or face penalties from suppliers like MWD that could be in the millions of dollars. But a balance must be struck between appropriate regulation and a flat-out water dictatorship.
Tell us we need to reduce our use, fine—most of us have been doing so by choice for months now because it’s the right thing to do. But tell us which days we are allowed to water, and libertyloving Americans must call “foul.”
Everybody’s schedule is different—how can the city tell people who’ve been practicing responsible water use for years that they can’t water their lawn on a Tuesday or Thursday if that’s the day that works best for them?
The city says the day restrictions are necessary to allow code enforcement to monitor use and make sure residents are obeying the new law. Too bad. This desire in no way outweighs a citizen’s right to water their lawns on the days they see fit.
Most Simi residents are law-abiding and if told to follow water restrictions, they will do so. Private businesses and city government are the biggest water users, and therefore must be more closely monitored, not Edna and her rose garden.
So keep restricting the amount of water we use if it means it will save our cash-strapped city large sums of money, but trust residents enough to allow them to use their allotment on the days of their choosing.
Tell us how you feel about Simi’s new water restrictions by sending an e-mail to simi@theacorn.com.
