Sacramento Department Of Utilities Offering Water Conservation Class

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – This week, fines for wasting water could go up to $500 for a single violation.

A water conservation class hosted by the City of Sacramento's Department of Utilities is now schooling people caught overusing water.

"I didn't know we were in that big of a drought, but it is real severe," James Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez looks at the drought situation through different eyes.

"Coming to this class, it gave me a lot of insight in all of it," Rodriguez said.

The workshop is designed both for people with violations and for people just looking for ways to save water.

"We need to save water. There's like 115 homes in our association," Joanne Sherrill said.

Sherrill works as a volunteer for her neighborhood and is walking away with valuable information.

"If you water a few times a day … several times a day, between 6 and 12 minutes, you're going to have a green lawn but save a lot of water," Sherrill said.

In addition to timing water usage, the class offers great tips to conserve at home.

"Changing my sprinkler heads," Rodriguez said. "Because the ones I have now are wasting a lot of water."

With harsher consequences a possibility, the class aims to catch people before it's too late and educate the ones that haven't been taking the restrictions seriously.

"I wasn't real concerned about saving the water but now I am," Rodriguez said.

This class will eliminate a fine for a first or second violation.