City Cuts Water Use by 29 Percent
People living in single-family homes in the City of Santa Barbara managed to cut back water use by 29 percent in the month of August, while those in multifamily complexes cut back by 18 percent. Since City Hall declared a drought earlier this year, the water department has responded to 624 overuse complaints; only 10 notices of violation — and no fines — were issued. Mayor Helene Schneider confirmed that even with 13 inches of rainfall over the next year, Lake Cachuma might not experience any runoff. Even so, most councilmembers still oppose strict rationing, preferring to discourage consumption by tiered pricing. And despite Planning Commissioner Michael Jordan’s concern about issuing water hookups to new development, no councilmembers voiced support for a moratorium on new development.
