A citywide ordinance limiting individual water use for landscaping irrigation and other purposes was intended to endure only as long as drought conditions persevere, but officials are thinking about making the regulations permanent. A divided La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) voted 7-5-2 to approve a motion that would make the San Diego city water ordinance regulations enforceable at all times, not only during droughts. The motion also asked the city to control growth in a time of dwindling water resources, to develop new sources of water supply, to expand the pipe distribution system and to convert public areas to drought-tolerant landscaping. La Jolla residents and board members acknowledged a need to conserve in a city that imports 85 to 90 percent of its water supply. However, many expressed concerns that homes with extensive landscaping would suffer and that the regulations would not solve the larger issue because surrounding cities would not have to comply. Some even said the restrictions would deter large businesses from investing in the area. “The idea is to take the condition we have now and make that mandatory throughout the city,” LJCPA President Joe LaCava said. “That’s obviously painful for a lot of us. I know I have a lot of grass in my yard. But droughts are becoming more and more frequent, and it’s time for us to start raising the bar on some of these issues.” The city declared San Diego in a Drought Response Level Two in June 2009 due to ongoing drought in the Colorado River basin and reduced snow pack and runoff in Northern California, plus court-ordered pumping restrictions and decreased water delivery from wholesalers, according to the city’s website. The City Council then voted to implement regulations that would restrict landscape irrigation to no more than 10 minutes per day and three days per week for all consumers. “I don’t find the current regulations onerous, and I don’t have any unique watering needs. But I certainly have a landscaped yard,” board member Jim Fitzgerald said. “To not make this ordinance permanent will only ensure that it will be re-examined and re-approved year after year. This way, it forces people to share and sacrifice.” Board member Laura DuCharme Conboy agreed that making the regulations permanent would require individuals to be more accountable about how they consume resources. “I’m in favor of this because I think that while it’s a small step, it’s also addressing individual responsibilities,” she said. “This ordinance brings the issue to our attention as homeowners and water users, and reminds us that we need to conserve our resources.” Other board members said the city should focus more on increasing the water supply rather than limiting consumption. “We’re certainly in a drought, but we also have a growing population,” board member David Little said. “We can’t keep adding residents who will take up the water supply and eventually cause it to fail.” Board member Orrin Gabsch said that the ordinance would result in a team of “water police.” “I think what we really need is to increase the water supply,” Gabsch said. “I would like to see that there’s a sufficient supply of water so that if we want to have a grass lawn, we can have that.” An audience member suggested that the city could position itself in a prisoner’s dilemma by cutting short its own resources without compliance from other municipalities — in short, taking on the burden of decreased water access without assurance that its efforts will affect the overall supply. “If we do this, it puts other cities at an advantage because they don’t have to conserve,” she said. “It also makes this area less desirable for large businesses, and the city will have very little incentive to look for alternate resources.” For now, an end to the Drought Response Level 2 has not been solidified, said Erin Demorest, an aide for District 1 City Councilwoman Sherri Lightner. “There is no expiration date on the current Level 2 drought restrictions,” Demorest said. “The City Council would have to take a vote to make any change.” Demorest added that Lightner has requested that District 6 Councilwoman Donna Frye, who suggested that the ordinance become permanent, seek input from the community and “additional stakeholders” such as city schools, architects, golf courses and the Parks and Recreation Department. Current Level 2 drought alert restrictions: • Residents may use water landscaping no more than three times per week • From June 1 to Oct. 31, residents must water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. and for no longer than 10 minutes if using sprinkler systems • From Nov. 1 to May 31, residents must water before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. and for no longer than seven minutes if using sprinkler systems • Trees and shrubs may be watered three times per week using hand-held container or low-volume hoses • Nurseries and commercial growers may irrigate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. from June 1 to Oct. 31, and 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. from Nov. 1 to May 31 • Vehicle washing is permitted before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. from June 1 to Oct. 31, and before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. from Nov. 1 to May 31 • All irrigation is prohibited during rainfall For a more detailed list of restrictions, visit www.san diego.gov/water/conservation/drought. Residents can report water waste to the Water Hotline at (619) 515-3500.