The City of Redding says outdoor watering is prohibited for the next 24 hours. Redding received about four-tenths of an inch of rain at the airport Thursday morning and drought restrictions put into place earlier this year prohibit watering after a measurable rain event. State regulators have required Redding to cut back on water usage by 36 percent but Water Utility Manager John Wendele says in June, residents fell just a bit short of that goal reaching only 30 percent compared to the same period two years ago.
“But on the other hand as you remember, June was hot as blazes, so it’s very difficult,” he said.
He says the city could face fines of up to $10,000 a day if it does not reach 36 percent. To that end, the utility will be using a private security firm to patrol city streets looking for water violators.
“That being watering on the wrong day, or watering at the wrong time, or watering the streets, that sort of thing,” Wendele said. “But they won’t be contacting residents. They’ll simply be taking notes of where they see the infractions; they’ll get a digital picture whenever possible and then report back to us.”
Wendele says the first violation will only result in a warning notice or phone call, but subsequent violations could result in a $50 fine. The rules regarding outdoor watering are available at cityofredding.org