BAKERSFIELD, CA- The State Water Resources Control Board approved regulations Tuesday -- limiting outdoor water use. State officials say violating the new rules is a crime.
If you're caught wasting water, you could be fined $500-dollars starting August 1st.
The State Water Resources Control Board issued a ban on certain outdoor water activities -- including using hoses without nozzles, running potable water in a fountain and over-watering your lawn.
State water board staff member Carlos Mejia said, "The intent with the regulations is that those individual prohibitions would be enforced at the local level and the enforcement mechanism for the local agency would be an infraction."
Bakersfield water resources manager Art Chianello says the city will take steps to comply.
Chianello said, "We'll talk about them internally with the city manager's office and our water board. then we'd have to reach out to the community, let them be aware of certain restrictions. the city would have to abide by certain restrictions on cutting back on potable water, on outside use such as spray parks."
Mejia said, "An infraction as many people are familiar with them is similar to a traffic ticket. it is technically speaking a penalty, but one for which the maximum fine is set for $500 per day. should seek judicial review or some hearing upon the infraction, that's before the superior court."
How the city will enforce restrictions is unclear.
Chianello said, "It's going to be a challenge because we have over 100,000 connections within the city. we'll see how busy we are."
City officials say they don't know where the money from fines would go.
If you're caught wasting water, you could be fined $500-dollars starting August 1st.
The State Water Resources Control Board issued a ban on certain outdoor water activities -- including using hoses without nozzles, running potable water in a fountain and over-watering your lawn.
State water board staff member Carlos Mejia said, "The intent with the regulations is that those individual prohibitions would be enforced at the local level and the enforcement mechanism for the local agency would be an infraction."
Bakersfield water resources manager Art Chianello says the city will take steps to comply.
Chianello said, "We'll talk about them internally with the city manager's office and our water board. then we'd have to reach out to the community, let them be aware of certain restrictions. the city would have to abide by certain restrictions on cutting back on potable water, on outside use such as spray parks."
Mejia said, "An infraction as many people are familiar with them is similar to a traffic ticket. it is technically speaking a penalty, but one for which the maximum fine is set for $500 per day. should seek judicial review or some hearing upon the infraction, that's before the superior court."
How the city will enforce restrictions is unclear.
Chianello said, "It's going to be a challenge because we have over 100,000 connections within the city. we'll see how busy we are."
City officials say they don't know where the money from fines would go.