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OCR for page 101
APPENDIX A
THE EMERGENCY WATER CONSERVATION PLAN OF luE
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
and the
SUMMARY OF Tag LOS ANGELES EMERGENCY WATER
CONSERVATION ORDINANCE
-101-
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102
THE ENIERGENC1' \VATER C:ONSER\'AT1ON
PLAN' OF THE CIn OF LOS GELDS
Added by Ord. No. 149,700, Effective o/16/77.]
ARTICLE I
Sec. 121.00. Scope.
Sec. 121.01. Declaration of Policy.
Sec. 121.02. Declaration of Urgency.
Sec. 121.03. Dec}arawon of Purpose.
Sec. 121.04. Defin~uoT,s.
Sec. 121.05. Authorization.
Sec. 121.06. Application.
Sec. 121.0~. Water Coruser~ation Phases.
Sec. 121.08. Consecration Phase Implementation.
Sec. 121.09. Application of Surplus Reduction.
Sec. 121.10. Failure to Comply.
Sec. 121.11. Relief From Compliance.
Sec. 121.12. General Provisions.
Sec. 121.13. Ens ironn.ent.
::=l~i.- Severability.
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(Rev. No. 101977)
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.
)03
Ch.XII.Art.1 E\IERGENCY WATER CONSERVATION PLAN §191.
. __
CW\PrER XII
THE ENIERGENC,'~7ATER CONSERVATION
PLAN OF THE CITE OF LC)S \N'GELES
[Added by Ord. No. 149,700, Effective 0/16/771
ARTICLE I
SEC. 191.00. SCOPE. There is hereby established a City of Los Angeles
Emergency. water Conserv ation Plan.
SEC. 121.01. DECLARATlO,~ OF POLICY It is hereby declared that,
because of the conditions prey ailing in The City of Los Angeles and in the
Dam of this State and else here from which the City obtains its water sup-
plies, the general welfare requires that the hater resources available to
the City be put to the magnum beneficial use to the extent to ~ hich they
are capable, and that the waste or ur~re~sonable use or unreasonable
method of use of water be prevented, and the conserve abon of such w aters is
to be exercised With a view to the reasonable and beneficial use thereof in
the interests of the people of the City and for the public welfare.
SEC. 121.09. DECLARATION OF URGENT. The Council of The
City of Los Angeles hereby finds and declares that there exists within this
City a water shortage emergency condition and that as a result there is an
urgent necessity to take legislative action through the exercise of the police
power to protect the public peace, health and safety of this City from a
public disaster or calamity, to take effect unmediately upon publication of
this Ordinance.
SEC. 121.03. DECLARATION OF PURPOSE. The purpose of this
Chapter is to provide a mandatory water conservation plan to rriiIiim~e the
effect of a shortage of water to the customers of the City and, by means of
this Chapter, to adopt provisions that will significantly reduce the con-
sumption of water over an emended period of time, thereby extending the
available water required for the customers of the City while reducing the
hardship of the Cit. and the general public to the greatest extent possible,
voluntary conservation efforts having proved to be disappointing as of the
date hereof.
SEC. 121.04. DEFIN7ITlONS. The follow ing words and phrases,
whenever used in this Chapter, shall be construed as defined in this section
unless from the context a different meaning is intended or unless a different
meaning is specifically defined within individual sections of this Chapter:
a. "City" means The City of Los Angeles.
b. "Mayor" means the Mayor of The City of Los Angeles.
c. 'City Council" means the Council of The City of Los Angeles.
d. i`Depar~nent" means the Department of water and Power.
e. "Section" means a "section of this Chapter unless some other or-
dinance or statute is specifically mentioned. ~
I. "Customer" means any person, persons, association, corporation or
goverrunental agency supplied or entitled to be supplied with water ser-
vice by the Department.
C12-3
(Rev. No. 101977)
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104
§~91.05
\11 N1~:1PAL CODE
Cn.~;II .Art.1
g. ''Chapter" means the Ordinance providing for "The Emergency
Water Conservation Plan of The City of Los Angeles".
h. "Officer" means every person designated in Section ~ of the Los
Angeles City Chanter as an officer of The Cite` of Los Angeles.
i. 'His" as used herein includes masculine, feminine or neuter, as ap-
propnate.
j . " Process ~rater" means ~ ater used to manufacture, alter, cons ert,
clean, heat, or cool a product, or the equipment used for such purpose;
water used for plant and equipment washing and for transportir~g the
raw materials and products; and mater used to grow trees or plants for
sale or installation.
k. "Base Period" means that period of time over which the base is
computed.
1. "Base" means the amount of water used on a customer's premises
during the corresponding billing period in 1976.
Any customer who was not a customer on the premises for u hich ser-
vice was billed by the Department during the base period shall be
assigned the same base for such or similar premises as provided above,
and the Department shall have the further discretion to adjust such base
in the event such customer's use of the premises is substantially dif-
ferent from the previous use thereof during the base period.
m. "Billing Unit" means the unit amount of water used to apply watt
rates for purposes of calculating commodity charges for customer uniter
usage and equals one hundred (100) cubic feet or seven hundred fort~y-
eight (748) gallons of water.
SEC. 121.05. AUTHORIZATION. The venous officers, boards, depart-
·ments, bureaus and agencies of the City are hereby authorized and
directed to imrr~ediately implement the applicable provisions of this
Chapter upon the effective date hereof.
SEC. 121.06. APPLICATION. The provisions of this Chapter shall ap-
ply to all customers and property served by the Department of Plater arxl
Power wherever situated, and shall also apply to all property and facilities
owned, maintained, operated or under the jurisdiction of the venous of-
ficers, boards, departments, bureaus or agencies of the City.
SEC. 121.07. WATER CONSERVATION PHASES. No customer of
the Depar~nent of Water and Power shall make, cause, use, or penrut the
use of water from the Department for residential, commercial, industnal,
agricultural, governmental, or any other purpose in a manner contrary to
any provision of this Chapter or in an amount in excess of that use permit-
ted by the conservation phase then in effect pursuant to action taken by
the Mayor and the Council in accordance with the provisions of this
Chapter.
A. PHASE I
1. Prohibited Uses Applicable To All Customers:
(a) There shall be no hose washing Of sidewalks, pallid a-srs,
driveways, or parking areas, except that fl~mm~lble or other
(ReV. NO. 1015n7)
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105
Ch.XII,Art.l EMERGENT SEATER 'SERVO Amp' 61~1.07
dangerous substances may be disposed of by direct hose flushing for
the benefit of public health and safety.
_ _ O
(b) No water shall be used to clean, fill or maintain levels in
decorative fountains unless such water is part of a recycling system.
(c) No restaurant, hotel, cafe, cafetRna or other public place where
food is sold, served or offered for sale, shall sense dn~;ing water to
any customer unless expressly requested.
(d) No customer of the Department shall permit Hater to leak from
any facility on his premises; failure to effect ~ tinned repair of an`' leak
shall subject said customer to all penalties provided herein for waste of
water.
(e) ~o lawn. landscape, or other turf areas shall be u atered or irrigated
between the hours of 10:00 a.m and 4:00 p m.; provided. how ever that
the provisions of this subsection are hereby suspended until such time
as the Council. by' resolution reinstates the provisions hereof when it
finds and determines such action necessary in order to assist the Cirv in
achieving the necessary level of Hater conservation. such resolution to
be effective immediately upon publication thereof. (Amended by Ord.
No. 1~0,636, Eff. 4/1~/78.)
B. PHASE II
1. Prohibited Uses Applicable To All Customers:
(a) No use of water may be made contrary to the provisions of
subsection 121.07 A.
2. Customer Percentage Curtailment. No customer shall make, cause,
use or permit the use of water from the Department for any purpose in an
amount in excess of ninety percent (90'%o ) of the amount used during the
base period as defined in this Chapter.
C PHASE 111
i. Prohibited Uses Applicable To All Customers
(a) No use of water may be made contrary to the provisions of
subsection 121.07 A.
2. Customer Percentage Curtailment. No customer shall make, cause.
use or permit the use of water from the Department for any purpose in an
amount in excess of eighty-five percent (85~G ) of the amount use dung
the base period as defined in this Chapter, except that the process water
may be used to the extent of ninety percent (90% ) of the base penod.
D. PHASE IV
1. Prohibited Uses Applicable To All Customers:
(a) No use of water may be made contrary to the provisions of
subsection 121.07 A.
2. Customer Percentage Curtailment. No customer shall make cause,
use or permit the use of water from the Department for any purpose in an
amount in excess of eighty percent (80~o ) of the amount used during the
base period as defined in this Chapter, except that process water may be
used to the extent of ninety percent (90~o ~ of the base period.
E. PHASE V
1. Prohibited Uses Applicable To All Customers:
(a) No use of Hater may be made contrary to the provisions of
subsections 121.07 A.
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(Rev. No. 141978}
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§1 _ 1 . 08
106
N1 t ~ ~7 Pad Cons Ch.XII.A~.1
-
2. Cust.omer Perc~nt.s~Fe Curt~Iment. No customer shall make. cause.
use or permit the use of u ater from the Department for anther purpose in an
amount in excess of se~ent~--fi`'e percent (75'Xc ) of the Mount used dur-
ing the base period as defined in this Chapter, except that process
water may be used to the extent of eight~r-five percent (85~o ) of the base
period
F. EXCEPI ION. The prohibited use of ~ ater from the Department pro-
vided for by subsections 121.07 A 1. B 1, C 1, D 1 and E 1 of this section
are not applicable to that use of Hatter necessary for public health and safe-
ty or for essential ~overnrnent services such as police, fire. and other
_
..
slrru~ar emergency services.
. .
SEC. 1^F1.0F8., CONSER\rAT10N' PHASE IAWFLEAIEN rATIoNF.
A. Phase Change Initiation. The Department shall moriitor and en aluate
the projected supply and demand for water by its customers monthly . and
shall recommend to the Mayor the extent of the conservation required by'
the customers of the Department in order for the Department to prudent!,
plan for and supply' water to its customers. The Mayor shall, in turn. notify
and recommend to the Council the appropriate phase of hater conservation
to be unplemented. Thereafter, the Mayor may, with the concurrence of the
-Council. order that the appropriate phase of water conservation be im-
plemented in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Chapter.
Said order shall be made by public proclamation and shall be published one
time only in a daily newspaper of genera circulation and shall become ef-
fective immediately upon such publication. The prohibited use provisions
-shall become operable immediately upon the effective date of this Or-
dinance. The customer percentage curtailment provisions shall take ef-
{ect with the first full billing period commencing on or after the effective
.date of the public proclamation by the Mayor.
B. Exemptions. Nothing contained in subsections B. C, D, or E of Sec-
tion 121.07 of this Chapter shall be deemed to require any single-family
residential customer of the Department to reduce his consumption of water
provided by the Department to an amount less than nine (9) billing units
per month at each meter during any billing period while subsection B of
Section 121.07 is in effect (Phase II); to an amount less than eight and
one-half (8 1/2) billing units per month at each meter during any billing
period while subsection C of Section 121.07 is in effect (Phase III); to an
amount less than eight (8) billing units per month at each meter during any
billing period while subsection D of Section 121.07 is in effect (Phase IV);
or to an amount less than seven and one-half (7 1/2) billing units per month
at each meter during any billing period while subsection E of Section
121.07 is in effect (Phase V).
SEC. 121.09. APPLICATI ON OF SURPLUS REDUCTION. Not-
withstanding any other provision of this Chapter, any reduction in the
use of water by any customer during any current billing period in excess of
the amount required by Section 121.07 shall be applied as follows:
(Rev.No 141978}
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Ch.XIl.~.] SARGENT U7ATER INSERT ANON it'
.. . .
§191.10
1. Bimonthly Customers:
Said surplus reduction shall be applied to that customer's consump-
tion for the irnmed~tely preceding billing period. Any surplus reduc-
tion remaining after the application of the rule pros ided i~nrnediat~`
above shall be applied to offset ens excessive use of Hater by that
customer during the next billing pen cad for bimonthly customers. Such
cay-forward of the surplus reduction shall operate on]` as an offset to
excessive usage and shall not be applied to any Doe of u aver at or below
the customer's allow able maximum consumption thereof.
2. Monthly Customen;:
Ad surplus reduction shall be applied to that =stomer,~ com~ump-
tion for the unmediately preceding three-month period. Any' surplus
reduction remaking after the application a, the rule pros ided immediate-
ly above shall be applied to offset any excessive use of water by' the
customer during the next two billing periods for monthly customers.
Such cany-forward of the surplus reduction shall operate only as an off-
set to excessive usage, and shall not be applied to an`, use of water in
an amount at or below the customer s allow able magnum consumption
thereof.
SEC. 121.10 FAILURE TO COMPLY (Amended by Ord. No. 150,637,
Eff. 4121178.)
A. Penalties. It shall be unlawful for any customer of the Department
to fail to comply with any of the provisions of this Chapter. Not-
withstanding any other provision of the Los Angeles l\lunicipal Code.
the penalties set forth herein shall be exclusion e and not cumulative u ith
any other section of this Code. The penalties for failure to comply with
any of the provisions of this Chapter shall be as follows:
1. For each violation by any customer of the Department of any' of the
provisions of subsections B 2, C 2, D 2, or E 2 of Section 121.0 ~ 8 sur-
charge penalty is hereby imposed in an amount equal to fifteen percent
(15~7o) of the water bill plus an additional one dollar (~;1.()0} for each bill-
ing unit in excess of the percentage usage of `` ater ,l)ermitted b! chic par-
ticular conservation phase in which the violation occur. ed.
2. (a} For the first violation by any customer of the Department of any
of the provisions of subsections A l, B l, C l, D l, or E l of Section
121.07, the department shall issue a written notict of the fact of such
violation to the customer.
(b) For a second violation by any customer of the Department of an,, of
.
the provisions of subsections A 1, B l, C l, D l, or E l of Section 121.0 ~
within the preceding twelve (12) calendar months, the Department shall
issue a written notice of the fact of such second violation to the
customer.
(c} For a third violation by any customer of the Department of anv of
the provisions of subsections A 1, B l, C 1. D l, or E l of Section 121.0/
within the preceding twelve (12) calendar months, the Department shall
install a flow restricting device of l GPA1 capacity for services up to one
and one-half (lit) inch size. and Comparatively sized restrictors for
larger services. on the service of the customer at the premises at which
Cl2-7
(Rex No 14197S}
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6121.10 \1~lc:lPA~ cons Ch.XII Art.1
the violation occurred for a period of not less than fort,~-eight {48) hours.
The charge for installing a flow restricting device shall be based upon
the size of the meter and the cost of installation as set forth in the water
Rate Schedules and Rules but shall not be less than t~ent`-fi~e dollars
($25.00). The charge for removal of the flow restricting device and
restoration of normal service shall be twenty-five dollars (S95.00} if
restoration of normal service is performed during the hours of &:00 a.m.
~o 4:00 p.m. on regular working days. If removal of the flow restricting
device and restoration of normal service is made after regular working
hours, on holidays or weekends, the restoration service charge shall be
forty dollars (840.00). --
3. For any subsequent violation by any customer of the Department of
any of the provisions of subsections A 1, B 1, C 1, D 1 or E 1 of Section
121.07 within the preceding twelve (12j calendar months, the Depart.
ment shall discontinue ~ ater service to that customer at the premises at
which the violation occurred. The charge for reconnection and restora-
tion of normal service shall be twenty-five dollars (25.001.
B. Notice. The Department shall give notice of each violation to the
customer committing such violation as follows:
1. For any violation of the provisions of subsection B 2 through E 2 of
Section 121.07 or for a first or second violation of the provisions of
subsections A 1 through E 1 of Section 121.07, the Department may give
written notice of the fact of such violation to the customer personally or
by regular mail.
2. If the penalty assessed is, or includes the installation of a flow
restrictor or the discontinuance of water service to the customer for any
period of time whatever, notice of the violation shall be given in the
following manner:
{a) by giving written notice thereof to the customer personally; or
(b) If the customer be absent from or unavailable at either his place
of residence or his assumed place of business, by leaving a cop,' with
some person of suitable age and discretion at either place, and sen-
ding a copy through the United States mail addressed to the customer
at either his place of business or residence; or
{c} If such place of residence and business cannot be ascertained, or
a person of suitable age or discretion there cannot be found, then by
affixing a copy in a conspicuous place on the property where the
failure to comply is occurring and also by delivering a copy to a per-
son there residing. if such person can be found, and also sending a
copy through the United States mail addressed to the customer at the
place where the property is situated.
Said notice shall contain, in addition to the facts of the violation, a state.
ment of the possible penalties for each violation and a statement inform-
ing the customer of his right to a hearing on the violation.
C. Hearing. Any customer against whom a penalty is levied pursuant
to this section shall have a right to a hearing, in the first instance by the
Department with the right of appeal to an appeal board, on the merits of
the alleged violation upon the written request of that customer to the
Department within fifteen days of the date of notification of the ~ iola-
tion.
(Rev. No. 141978)
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Ch.XII Art.l EMERGENCY WATER CO.N'SERVAT10N' PLAN' §191.11
D. Reservation of Rights. The rights of the Department hereunder
shall be cumulative to any other right of the Department to discontinue
service. All monies collected by the Department pursuant to any of the
penalty provisions of this Chapter shall be deposited in the Crater
Revenue Fund as reimbursement for the Department's costs and ex-
penses of administering and enforcing this Chapter.
E. Additional Penalties. In the event the Department is unable to
achieve the necessary level of conservation, the Council, by, resolution,
may order the imposition of the penalties provided for in subsection 2 (c)
of Section 121.10 {or a third violation by any customer of the Depart-
ment of any of the provisions of subsections B 2 through E 2 of Section
121.07, and may also order the imposition of the penalties provided for
in subsection 3 of Section 121.10 for any' additional violation of the pro-
vis~ons of said subsections, such resolution to be effective immediately
upon publication thereof.
SEC. 121.11 RELIEF FROM COMPLIANCE
A. Administrative Relief. Any customer who is dissatisfied with the ap-
plication of any of the provisions of this Chapter as the same relate to
him, may seek relief as set forth below.
The Department shall have the power, upon the filing by a customer of
an application for relief as herein provided, to take such steps as it deems
reasonable and to set up such procedures as it considers necessary to
resolve said application for relief prior to the submission of said application
to an appeal brawl. -
In detennining Whether relief shall be granted, tl~e Dep~ent and the
appeal boards shall take into consideration all relevant factor; including,
but not limited to:
1. Whether any additional reduction in water consumption will result
in unemployment;
2. Whether additional members have been added to the household;
3. Whether any additional landscaped property has been added to the
1976-based property;
4. Charms in vacancy factors in multi-family housing;
5. Increased number of employem in corrunermal industrial, and
governmental offices;
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§121.11 \1t ~-lc:lP.`L C:Ol)F: Ch.~;II,An.1
6. increased production requiring increased process water;
7. water uses doing new construction;
S. Adjustments to Hater use caused by emergency health or safes,
ha7.are1~
.
_ __, ~
9. First filling of a permit-constructed s~iruniing pool:
10. NVater use necessary for,reasons related to family illness or health.
-
..
No relief shall be granted to any customer for any reason in the absence
of a showing by the customer that he has achieved the maximum practical
reduction in Hater consumption in his residential, comrnere~al, industnal,
agricultural or goverrunental ~ ater consumption, as the case mat be. other
than in the specific area in which relief is being sought.
No relief shall be granted to any customer who, when requested bv the
Department, fail to provide the Department with information whereby the
serf ices provided to him can be classified for the purpose of establishing an
appropriate base or classification pursuant to the provisions of this
. . .
Chapter. No relief shall be granted to anv customer ubo fails to file an ap-
plication for relief within one year of the date of the application of the pro-
visions of this Chapter from which he seeks relief, except as other; ise
provided in Section 121.10 C.
If a resolution of the application for relief is mutually agreed upon be-
tween the Department and the customer, the agreement and the fact of
concurrence therewith shall be in writing subscribed by' the customer. No
further appeal may be taken by the customer on the same, or substantially
sunilar, circumstances and facts.
B. Curtailment Relief Lunitations. A customer may seek relief as herein
provided from any application of the provisions of subsections 13 2, C 2, D 2
and E 2 of Section 121.07 that adversely affect him at any time after any of
suc-h provisions are in effect. During any subsequent phase which may
hereinafter be imposed, a customer may seek relief as herein provided only
as to the issue of whether that customer committed the particular act or
acts, or omitted to perform the particular act or acts, as alleged b`, the
Department.
C. Base Adjustment. I he Department, in its discretion. may adjust the
base assigned to any customer if that customer establishes, to the satisfac-
tion of the Department, that the base, as herein provided, would cause
him great hardship for reasons including, but not necessarily limited to,
technological improvements to that customer's premises since the base
period, increased employment on said customer's business premises since
the base period, a significant change in either the manner or the extent of
use of water at the location in question since the base period, extrerr~e fluc-
tuations in weather conditions, increase in business volume dearth'
related to water use, and occupancy factors occurring since the base period.
Upon application therefor by a customer whose service is classified as a
multiple-family dwelling, the Department shall grant an exemption of four
billing units per dwelling unit per month.
D. Reclassification. The Department shall have the power to reclassify
any residential, commercial, industrial, or agricultural customer to an,'
(Rev. No. 101977)
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Ch.XII.Art.1 EMERGENCY WATER CONSERVATION PLAN 5191 19
, . _
other classification upon a showing of good cause by said customer of ~ by
all customers similarly situated should be so reclassified.
E. Appellate Relief.
1. The Mayor and the City Council shall establish such number of
residential and nonresidential appeal boards as the,, deem necessary.
Each nonresidential appeal board shall be composed of three members,
one of w hich shall be selected. from the business corrumunit`, one of ~ hich
shall be selected from the labor sector, and one of which shall be selected
from the public at large. The residential appeal boards shall be composed
of three members selected from the public at large. Appeal board
members shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed bit the Council.
The Mayor and Council shall adopt such rules and regulations as the,, in
their sound discretion, deem reasonable and necessary to the formation,
procedure and operation of such appeal boards.
2. The filing by a customer of an application for a hearing before an ap-
peal board for any form of relief must be made withm fifteen (15) days
of the Departmental action complained of. This shall automatically stall
the implementation of the proposed course of action b`' the Department
pending the decision of the appeal board. No other or further stay shall
be granted by the Depar~nent. Requests for relief hereunder may be fil-
ed immediately upon this Chapter s becoming effective.
F. Willful Misrepresentation. Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, and in addition thereto, and not in lieu thereof, any wilful
nusrepresentation of ~ material fact by any person to the Department or to
any appeal board established pursuant to this Chapter, made for the pur-
pose of securing relief from the provisions of this Chapter for any
customer, is unlawful; and a violation of this subsection shall be
punishable by a fine not exceeding the sum of five hundred dollars ($500),
or by unprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed six (6}
months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
SEC 121.12. GENERAL PROVISIONS ~
A. Enforcement. The Department of Water and Power shall enforce the
provisions of this Chapter.
B. Department to Give Effect to Legislative Intent. The Department
shall provide water to its customers in accordance with the provisions of
this Chapter, and in a manner reasonably calculated to effectuate the in-
tent hereof.
C. Reduction in Water Supplied. If any customer fails to comply with
any provision of this Chapter, the Department may reduce the amount of
water provided to that customer to the level which that customer would be
using said water if he were complying with the provisions of this Chapter.
The provisions of this subsection shall be applied in lieu of, or in addition
to, any other penalties provided in this Chapter, in the discretion of the
Department, and shall be applied without regard to the status or nature of
the customer.
D. Public Health and Safety Not to be Affected. Nothing contained in
this Chapter shall be construed to require the Department to curtail the
supply of watt to any customer when, in the discretion of the Department
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§191.13 \1~lc.'P.~c Col)r
Ch.XII .~.1
or an appeals board. such water is required by that customer to maintain
an adequate level of public health and safety.
E. Reports. All commercial and industrial customers of the Department
of water and Power using 25,000 billing units per year or more shall sub-
mit a water conservation plan to the Mayors office. These users shall
submit quarterly to the Mayor's office a report on the progress of their con-
c,er~ation plans
All City departments shall submit to the Mayor a monthly public report
on their water conservation efforts. The reports are to present the level of
performance compared to their water conservation plans.
SEC. 191.13. ENT\-IRONTNIENT. This Chapter and the actions hereafter
taken pursuant thereto are exempt from the provisions of the California
Ens ironmenta] Quality Act of 1970 as a project undertaken as inns ediate
action necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency pursuant to Section
15071 (c) of the State EIR Guidelines.
SEC. 191.14. SEVERABILITY. If any section, subsection, clause or
phrase in this Chapter or the application thereof to any person or cir-
cumstances is for any reason held invalid. the validity of the remainder of
the Chapter or the application of such provision to other persons or cir-
cumstances shall not be affected thereby. The City Council hereby
declares that it would have passed this Chapter and each section, subsec-
tion, sentence, clause, or phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that one
or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, or phrases or the applica-
tion thereof to any person or circumstance be held invalid.
(Rev. No. 10 - 1977)
C12-12
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-113-
SUMMARY OF LOS ANGELES
EMERGENCY WATER CONSERVATION ORDINANCE
Upon the recommendation of a Blue Ribbon Water
Conservation Committee appointed by the mayor in 1977,
the Los Angeles City Council approved an Emergency Water
Conservation Ordinance that allows for quick imposition
of mandatory water conservation measures in a drought or
other emergency situation of reduced water supply.
Implementation of the ordinance that year, at the height
of the drought, accomplished a 14 percent reduction in
water use citywide.
Different phases of the ordinance can be implemented
depending on the severity of the water supply shortage
and the degree of water use reduction required:
Phase 1: Prohibits the watering of lawns during
midday hours and the service of water in restaurants
except on request, and asks all water users to
voluntarily reduce their use by 10 percent.
Phase 2: Includes Phase 1 restrictions and makes a 10
percent water use reduction by all water users mandatory.
Phase 3: Increases mandatory reduction to 15 percent.
Phase 4: Increases mandatory reduction to 20 percent.
Phase 5: Increases mandatory reduction to 25 percent
or moree
Users who do not reduce their historic use levels by
the amounts specified in Phases 2 through 5 are subject
to surcharges and other fines, to possible installation
of flow restrictors in their service lines, and in
extreme cases, to service disconnection. Exemption
levels of use are established in Phases 2 through 5.
Customers using less water than the exemption level are
not subject to penalties. The ordinance also includes
an appeals process for those users who feel they would
be unfairly burdened by a mandatory curtailment level.
The capability of the ordinance to achieve significant
reductions in water use was demonstrated during the
drought. The public recognized the presence of a
genuine emergency situation and responded accordingly.
This ordinance remains a valuable tool for Los Angeles
in emergency situations. The mayor and City Council can
implement appropriate phases of the ordinance during
water-short periods to ensure adequate conservation of
the available water supply.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
base period
