PLEASANT VIEW, Utah — The city of Pleasant View (Weber County) is enacting a policy in which some residents who water their grass with culinary water could be fined or even charged in court.
The city announced a joint proclamation from the mayor and city council that would go into effect if secondary water has to be shut off.
READ: 99% of Utah is now in the worst drought categories
Residents with secondary water access are already not allowed to use culinary water for watering. However, the new proclamation enacts punishments for breaking this rule in the case of secondary water being turned off. It also would prohibit those without secondary water access, who are currently allowed to use it for watering, from continuing to do so if secondary water is removed from other residents.
Exceptions to this would include watering trees, shrubs, gardens or other "plants for personal food production."
The city said officials may monitor culinary water use data, and if they determine that it's been used for unauthorized watering, the first violation would be a written warning. The second would result in a $250 fine, the third would be a Class-C misdemeanor, and the fourth would result in the offender possibly having their water turned off.
WATCH: New signs encourage people to save water during drought
"The City has noticeably reduced its outdoor watering of parks and public spaces and we encourage residents to do the same," Mayor Leonard Call said in a press release issued Friday. "These are challenging times, and we are grateful for the efforts of residents, city staff and all who are working to conserve the precious resource of our local water supply. Our hope is to ensure that water is thoughtfully used and remains protected to retain access to this critical resource to sustain life.”
Click here to read the full proclamation.
