As of July 15, patrols began trolling Redding neighborhoods looking for water-wasting violators. According to Redding Utilities Water Manager John Wendele, North State Security is the company that is conducting the patrols.
Wendele explained that at this stage the patrols will strictly be observing and will pass through neighborhoods at varied times approximately three times a day. They will document residents who are out of compliance with the water regulations. He said the patrols will likely follow-up, strictly from an observational standpoint, before proceeding with the three steps of disciplinary actions.
During a brief phone interview Wendele emphasized that ideally the patrols are to have little to no interaction with residents. He said the goal isn’t to provide citations, but to help people come into compliance in order to achieve the necessary decrease in water use.
The patrols come with some controversy, as was evident at Tuesday’s Redding City Council meeting at a partially full chamber.
Some citizens spoke about their concern about the patrols, and protested Redding’s contractual agreement with North State Security to patrol for water waste. One speaker said the council’s decision was made during a closed council meeting, and that the discussion of how best to spend tax dollars was not provided to the people.
In his words, “The matter was not properly ‘agendized’ and the right course of action would be to cancel the current contract.”
So what, might you ask, are the regulations, and what will these patrols be looking for? According to Redding Utilities any landscape watering is only permitted between 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., and only on permitted days corresponding with citizens’ street addresses, as follows: Homes ending with an even number may only water Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Homes ending with an odd number may only water Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Monday is to be a citywide no-water-use day.
Wendele encourages those reporting water waste to click the “Here” link on the city’s public works page. That will direct citizens to an email questionnaire that allows them to fill out a complaint form.
As it currently stands, the city is in stage two of the new program and as far as citations are concerned those who are found wasting water will receive a citation of up to $50. The City of Redding has stressed residence to comply with water regulations to avoid fines and if anyone is reported wasting water, it will be investigated by the water wasting patrols.
