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| California city sends its water wasters back to school as drought deepens | California city sends its water wasters back to school as drought deepens |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Related: California conservation efforts cut water use by 29% | Related: California conservation efforts cut water use by 29% |
| Some had turned a blind eye to gushy sprinklers. Others had ignored leaking toilets. One blamed an overzealous cleaning lady. Another blamed thieving neighbours. | Some had turned a blind eye to gushy sprinklers. Others had ignored leaking toilets. One blamed an overzealous cleaning lady. Another blamed thieving neighbours. |
| Whatever the cause, all were officially branded water wasters, villains in California’s drought, and now they were herded together, paying penance at water school. | Whatever the cause, all were officially branded water wasters, villains in California’s drought, and now they were herded together, paying penance at water school. |
| The 19 people gathered at the community centre in Santa Cruz, a parched beachside city south of San Francisco, faced a crash course in rainfall statistics, reservoir levels, pump technology, meter reading, mandatory restrictions and conservation tips. At the end awaited a written test – and then freedom to leave, their fines forgiven. | The 19 people gathered at the community centre in Santa Cruz, a parched beachside city south of San Francisco, faced a crash course in rainfall statistics, reservoir levels, pump technology, meter reading, mandatory restrictions and conservation tips. At the end awaited a written test – and then freedom to leave, their fines forgiven. |
| “This is a major, major event,” said Toby Goddard, the city’s water conservation manager, pointing to a colour-coded drought map which showed Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico yellow and orange and much of California an angry blood-red. “We’ve all got to do our part.” | “This is a major, major event,” said Toby Goddard, the city’s water conservation manager, pointing to a colour-coded drought map which showed Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico yellow and orange and much of California an angry blood-red. “We’ve all got to do our part.” |
| The class this week was part of a pioneering effort to curb waste, modelled on traffic school where offending motorists learn about road safety in return for reduced fines. | |
| Santa Cruz is especially vulnerable to the drought, now in its fourth year, because it depends entirely on local rainfall. “So it’s up to us. We’re on our own,” said Goddard, who led the class. | Santa Cruz is especially vulnerable to the drought, now in its fourth year, because it depends entirely on local rainfall. “So it’s up to us. We’re on our own,” said Goddard, who led the class. |
| Monday’s two-hour evening session, the first of the summer, aimed to educate and encourage, not scold. Even so the pupils, mostly middle-aged and elderly home owners, took their seats warily, unsure what to expect, wondering if they were considered the usual suspects. | Monday’s two-hour evening session, the first of the summer, aimed to educate and encourage, not scold. Even so the pupils, mostly middle-aged and elderly home owners, took their seats warily, unsure what to expect, wondering if they were considered the usual suspects. |
| “I read all this online already,” whispered Andrew, a 49-year-old software engineer, as slides showed the lowering levels of Loch Lomond reservoir in the Santa Cruz mountains. His toilet had broken during a vacation and leaked thousands of gallons, turning a usual $118 monthly bill into $3,600 for June, most of it a penalty. A water wasting accident, not rapacity, said Andrew, but still he declined to supply his surname. “My wife would kill me.” | “I read all this online already,” whispered Andrew, a 49-year-old software engineer, as slides showed the lowering levels of Loch Lomond reservoir in the Santa Cruz mountains. His toilet had broken during a vacation and leaked thousands of gallons, turning a usual $118 monthly bill into $3,600 for June, most of it a penalty. A water wasting accident, not rapacity, said Andrew, but still he declined to supply his surname. “My wife would kill me.” |
| A social media-driven campaign using the hashtag #droughtshaming has cast heavy water users as reckless, selfish splurgers, in some cases splashing their names, addresses and photographs across Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. | A social media-driven campaign using the hashtag #droughtshaming has cast heavy water users as reckless, selfish splurgers, in some cases splashing their names, addresses and photographs across Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. |
| Some pupils were sheepish, even penitent. “Some of the sprinkler was behind a fence and kept going after I turned it off. I didn’t know,” said one man, eyes downcast. He shook his head. “I didn’t know.” | Some pupils were sheepish, even penitent. “Some of the sprinkler was behind a fence and kept going after I turned it off. I didn’t know,” said one man, eyes downcast. He shook his head. “I didn’t know.” |
| Others felt they were victims, not villains. Barbara Canfield, 72, returned home after a four-month trip to find that monthly consumption in her absence was more than 14,000 gallons (measured as 19 centum cubic feet, or CCF), almost twice a single family’s permitted allotment. “That scared the daylights out of me.” The culprits, she said, were people camping nearby who used spigots beneath her deck. “They used it but I’m the one that has to be here.” | Others felt they were victims, not villains. Barbara Canfield, 72, returned home after a four-month trip to find that monthly consumption in her absence was more than 14,000 gallons (measured as 19 centum cubic feet, or CCF), almost twice a single family’s permitted allotment. “That scared the daylights out of me.” The culprits, she said, were people camping nearby who used spigots beneath her deck. “They used it but I’m the one that has to be here.” |
| Mark Zevanove, 56, a realtor representing some of the 387 residents of Paradise Park Masonic Club, said a collective $20,000 fine last month was unfair since all were being punished for the sins of a few. There are only two meters for all the residents, he complained. “It’s not fair.” | Mark Zevanove, 56, a realtor representing some of the 387 residents of Paradise Park Masonic Club, said a collective $20,000 fine last month was unfair since all were being punished for the sins of a few. There are only two meters for all the residents, he complained. “It’s not fair.” |
| Zevanove fretted about a possibly bigger fine next month because you can avoid a fine by attending water school only once. “After that you have to pay.” | Zevanove fretted about a possibly bigger fine next month because you can avoid a fine by attending water school only once. “After that you have to pay.” |
| Goddard proved to be an engaging teacher. He rattled through slides with hydrological arcana such as the Felton Diversion, the Graham Hill water treatment plant and the “ridiculously resilient ridge” out in the Pacific, which had blocked rainfall. | |
| “How many of you think El Niño will save us?” he asked. A few tentative hands went up. “We’re nervous and we’re rationing because the drought may continue,” he said. “We don’t know what’s coming around the corner.” | “How many of you think El Niño will save us?” he asked. A few tentative hands went up. “We’re nervous and we’re rationing because the drought may continue,” he said. “We don’t know what’s coming around the corner.” |
| It was a sultry evening, Goddard noted. “These temperatures are outside the range of normal. I’m sweating it’s so hot.” The civil servant expressed no opinion about global warming. “I let you form your own opinions about climate change.” But he was evangelical about the need for households to avoid exceeding their allotment of 7,480 gallons per month, about 60 gallons per person per day. | It was a sultry evening, Goddard noted. “These temperatures are outside the range of normal. I’m sweating it’s so hot.” The civil servant expressed no opinion about global warming. “I let you form your own opinions about climate change.” But he was evangelical about the need for households to avoid exceeding their allotment of 7,480 gallons per month, about 60 gallons per person per day. |
| Santa Cruz’s limits are some of the strictest in California, which is under order from Governor Jerry Brown to cut urban water use by a quarter. Many cities have shut off fountains, ripped out lawns and banned restaurants serving unsolicited water. | Santa Cruz’s limits are some of the strictest in California, which is under order from Governor Jerry Brown to cut urban water use by a quarter. Many cities have shut off fountains, ripped out lawns and banned restaurants serving unsolicited water. |
| Santa Cruz has especially severe penalties that can exceed 10 times the normal cost of water. The crackdown is working. Some 7.5% of water account holders exceeded their allotment during the first month of rationing last summer versus just 3% this year. That will probably mean fewer classes compared with last summer, when they ran weekly. | |
| Few pupils at this week’s class took notes. Some gazed into space. But no one fell asleep. “The meter is your friend,” Goddard intoned, urging weekly monitoring. | Few pupils at this week’s class took notes. Some gazed into space. But no one fell asleep. “The meter is your friend,” Goddard intoned, urging weekly monitoring. |
| As the class progressed his enthusiasm seemed to rub off. “I was in Albuquerque and it rained every day but no one collected the water,” one woman said in a scandalised tone, deflecting shame on to thriftless New Mexicans. “I see people irrigating with broken valves,” said another indignant voice. Mention of actor Tom Selleck, recently busted for pilfering water, elicited guffaws. | As the class progressed his enthusiasm seemed to rub off. “I was in Albuquerque and it rained every day but no one collected the water,” one woman said in a scandalised tone, deflecting shame on to thriftless New Mexicans. “I see people irrigating with broken valves,” said another indignant voice. Mention of actor Tom Selleck, recently busted for pilfering water, elicited guffaws. |
| By the time Neal Christen, another water official, rhapsodised about flush valves and toilet leak control the class appeared converts to frugality. There were nods when he lauded drought-friendly gardens – “mulch is huge, guys” – tut-tuts when he said a bath can consume 50 gallons and at least one giggle when he suggested sharing showers. | By the time Neal Christen, another water official, rhapsodised about flush valves and toilet leak control the class appeared converts to frugality. There were nods when he lauded drought-friendly gardens – “mulch is huge, guys” – tut-tuts when he said a bath can consume 50 gallons and at least one giggle when he suggested sharing showers. |
| The test turned out to be a self-graded multiple-choice quiz. Everyone passed. Then the water school alumni bade each other farewell and went their separate ways, hoping to avoid a reunion. | The test turned out to be a self-graded multiple-choice quiz. Everyone passed. Then the water school alumni bade each other farewell and went their separate ways, hoping to avoid a reunion. |