AG offers water school in place of fines

December 20, 2015

water moneyIn the spirit of traffic school, Arroyo Grande gave its first water school class that allows residents to waive a $50 water waster fine. [Tribune]

In May, the Arroyo Grande City Council agreed to fine customers who fail to meet city set water conservation targets. The less water generally used over a two month period, the lower the reduction required to avail fines. Customers who used between 11 and 18 units were asked to cut water use by 10 percent, customers using between 19 and 36 units were asked to reduce by 20 percent, and customers using more than 37 units were told to conserve by 30 percent.

Opponents of the fines have voiced concerns that people who already conserve water or who have increased the number of people living in their homes are unfairly penalized. The city does permit rate payers to file an amendment claiming they have special circumstances that prevent them from conserving the city’s target amount.

Approximately 30 percent of Arroyo Grande rate payers failed to meet the cities conservation goals. Of those, only about 40 people attended the Dec. 10 water class hosted by the city.


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Can we see an accounting of what it cost to put this class on? Please include all costs and expenses associated with the program.


shhh…..that might expose waste.


How about we get to see all the water bills for those same people who are involved in setting the fines for the rest of us? The “unedited” bills that is.


And yet the city continues to welcome new development, all the while punishing current residents. Way to go city council and our new city manager. The next election can not come soon enough, time for another change.


Sadly, California must charge more for less so that there can be continued growth. This is the only way that most unfunded pension get funded. We all focus on the wrong issue because expensive governance has someone in every family, including mine. If you want to create a shirt storm, publish the average income of a retired 55 year old government employee compared to the average income of a retired 55 year old everybody else employee.


very good point. not only have public servant salaries risen to a level that is commensurate or exceeds their private industry counterparts, private industry counterparts get to pay a public servants salary/pension into perpetuity when private industry counterparts do not have any retirement plan whatsoever.


when the government gives a class on waste…..IRONIC.


True professionals


Government doesn’t need to conserve, it draws from a bottomless well.