See Who Is Watching Your Water Use

Each time you turn on your faucet or sprinklers, someone may be watching.

California is in the fourth year of a crippling drought.

The governor says it’s the worst the state has ever seen. And he has mandated cities cut water use by at least 25 percent.

The amount is higher in some valley cities like Fresno and Clovis.

But who tracks that? And how?

CBS47s Kathryn Herr shows you who is watching your water use and what happens if you use more than you’re supposed to.

To the casual observer, there is nothing to indicate the men inside this car bear a heavy responsibility right now in California.
They are two of the water conservation representatives in the city of Fresno.
water cops – enforcement officers of water use.

"We receive different kinds of tips from phone calls to emails to internet reporting," said Tou Moua. He is a water conservation representative for the city of Fresno.

They patrol the city, looking for water waste and abuse.

"Having water through the city of Fresno is a right. And we also have the right to regulate and monitor that and shut their water off if they don’t comply with our rules and regulations," Moua said.

It’s a strong statement. but this has been Moua’s job for the past 13 years. To ensure water conservation in fresno.

"Our number one priority in the past was education," Moua said.

But with new rules and regulations there is a new focus on enforcement.
We rode with Moua and trainee John Thao to see how that enforcement is carried out.
They get a tip from the public, sprinklers running at a business when they aren’t supposed to.

"I see a little bit of something here," Moua said.

They spot a violation.
A warning letter will be sent to the property owner.
If the violation continues, a 45-dollar fine will follow.

A random check of a nearby neighborhood turns up another problem.
Water flowing into a gutter.

"And that drain is typically coming from the back yard with excessive watering, either from a heavy rainfall or irrigation," Moua said.

Water is running into the street from a backyard drain.

"We always try to get a photo of the violation so i’m going to snap one here," Moua said.

It rained the day before. Under news rules from the state, no one is allowed to water 48 hours after a rainfall.
So there shouldn’t be any runoff from sprinklers.

The homeowner lets Moua into the back yard to try and track down the source of the leak.
He finds standing water along the side of the house, possibly a break in the irrigation line.
He writes up a notice for the home owner.

She’s actually happy he tracked down the source of the problem because she’s been trying to cut back on her home’s water use.

"There are so many things you can do to conserve water you just really have to educate yourself on it," said homeowner Cindy Baker.

The first notice is just a warning. Moua will check back in a week to see if the leak is fixed.

"Most of the time customers take care of it right off the bat because they don’t want any fees involved," Moua said.

In fresno, the second notice comes with a 45 dollar fine. Each violation thereafter is another 45 dollars.
In Clovis – the first notice is also a warning.
Then it’s a 25 dollar fine. 50 dollars for any additional violations.
If homeowners don’t make repairs or blatantly thumb their nose at the rules, water service could be shut off.

Watering our lawns and landscaping is responsible for about 30 percent of a home’s water use.
So fresno and clovis offer help, for free, to set the timers for sprinklers. Watering is only allowed two days a week in both cities.

"I have your timer set for Tuesday and Saturday," city employee Bret Johnson told homeowner Judy Standridge.

Standridge took notes as Bret Johnson adjusted her sprinkler settings and went over watering tips.

"As it heats up, you’ll want to put it on water budget and then raise it back up," Johnson told her.

Judy is making sure she complies with the new restrictions. And she’s trying to save as much water as she can.

"I want to conserve water because i think the more we conserve the more our farmers will have to farm which is so important here for our valley," Judy said.

In addition to setting sprinklers, Bret Johnson looks for signs of water waste… following up on tips from the public.

"We’re getting flooded with calls," Johnson says with a smile.

A little water humor there.
He gets reports of water running in the gutter, people watering when they shouldn’t, and broken sprinklers.
Depending on what he finds, residents could get a letter, a warning, or a fine.
While Clovis is cracking down on water use, they are easing up on some other issues.

Clovis residents no longer have to keep their lawns green. They can allow them to die off and go brown. No penalties, no fines.

"This year since the drought’s so bad we’re relaxing that regulation so if they do want to let their lawns go, so much the better because they’re saving the water," Johnson said.

Because this summer, everyone in the state is under pressure to save water.
And that pressure may make it’s way to your home.

For more information on water conservation:

http://www.fresno.gov/Government/DepartmentDirectory/PublicUtilities/Watermanagement/Conservation/default.htm

https://www.ci.clovis.ca.us/Departments-and-Services/Public-Utilities/Drinking-Water/Water-Conservation