KCAL9's Kaj Goldberg Rides Along With 'Water Conservation Cops' In Pasadena
PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — What's being done to catch offenders and encourage good watering practices during California's drought?
KCAL9's Kaj Goldberg rode along with the so-called "conservation cops" in Pasadena to find out.
With mandatory statewide restrictions on outdoor watering scheduled to effect Friday, Pasadena Water and Power's Wendy De Leon gets behind the wheel to search for residents wasting resources.
"No watering after 9. Never hosing down your pavement. Only hand-watering with a shutoff valve like you see there" are just a few of the things she pointed out while patrolling city streets.
"The Level 1 water-supply shortage does now require that residents only water three days a week on specific days, so Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. And it also requires that residents and businesses fix any leaks within 72 hours," she said.
The situation in Pasadena is so dire that driving street to street isn't enough. De Leon and her team pass out water-saving packages and pamphlets, which seem to be having an effect.
"We are doing our best to limit showers. We're also limiting watering," Pasadena resident Ed Shraeder said.
While Ed and his wife Judy are doing their part, Wendy notes if their neighbors don't, the penalty could be hefty - up to $500.
It's a consequence some believe is more than fair.
"If they are really doing stupid things like putting water to clean their sidewalks I think there needs to be something done about that," Judy said.
No infractions were found by Wendy and her team during the hour-long search.
RELATED STORY:
