By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
If you want to drink good-flavored and pure spring
water, then don't use culinary water during the hot part of
the day.
Nephi City ordinance, set by the city council, states
that there will be no outside watering or sprinkler
irrigation between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. seven days a week.
"One trend that is dangerous to the council's goal of
using spring water for drinking and well water for outside
watering, is the use of water during the hours between 10
.m. and 6 p.m.," said Randy McKnight, city
administrator.
There is a penalty attached to violation of the
ordinance, said McKnight.
A ticket can be issued to violators. The charge is a
Class C misdemeanor and can result in an up to $750 fine and
90 days in jail.
The council has chosen to make improvements to the
city water supply to make it so that it would be adequate to
meet the demand if it is used according to ordinance. Those
improvements consist of spring development, well development
and delivery system improvements.
"If residents of Nephi do not abide by the time of day
restrictions," said McKnight, "then the storage tanks do not
have time to fill up with spring water flow and well water
will have to be used."
The needed catch-up time for filling the storage tanks
so they can recover enough, after the morning watering time,
is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. During that time, spring water
flows into the tanks to make them ready for the evening
demand.
Some think the drought is over, said McKnight, but
that is not the case. It will take many years of adequate
snow and rain to make up the water levels and, until that
time, water supply must still be respected.
"Perhaps we could put an ad in the newspaper," said
Chad Brough, mayor.
The ad could explain the need for water conservation
and the penalties which might occur if the time-of-day
restrictions are not obeyed.
"We have tried the shot-gun approach before," said
McKnight.
Now was time for the rifle approach.
A friendly letter will be sent to violators. If the
violations continue, then a law enforcement officer will be
sent to the property to issue a ticket. The violator will
then be required to appear in city court on the misdemeanor
charges.
The judge determines how severe the fine and if there
will be jail time and how much.
"In the past we have even seen subterfuge on the part
of those who are now observing the time-of-day watering
schedule," said McKnight.
That subterfuge consists, for example, of water users
taking the sprinkler head off and just letting the water
run.
Brough said that, at times, a sprinkling system may
not operate properly on the timer because of a power outage.
However, those residents will be given an opportunity to
repair the clock.
Those who are in danger of receiving a ticket for the
misuse of water are those who continue to abuse the system.
Oftentimes, the city is made aware of these infractions by
observant neighbors who do not like others mistreating the
law.
"We will step up our enforcement," said McKnight.
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